


Apotheosis: Haidros

by Selaetrus



Series: Apotheosis [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien/Human Relationships, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Bad Weather, Body Image, Constructed Reality, Dancing in the Rain, Depression, Elemental Magic, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fish out of Water, Hope vs. Despair, Humanity, Interspecies Relationship(s), Kindred Spirits, Kissing in the Rain, Magical Accidents, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Mistakes, Mortality, Nudity, Ocean, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Out of Body Experiences, POV First Person, POV Male Character, POV Third Person, Phobias, Power Exchange, Power Imbalance, Power of Words, Sea God, Sea Monsters, Star-crossed, Steampunk, Storms, Suicide Attempt, Tattoos, Water Spirit, Writing on the Body
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27682313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selaetrus/pseuds/Selaetrus
Summary: Aidan Piersson hated the sea. The very sight of the ocean terrified him. So when his family decided to invite him on a boating trip, he was hesitant to accept. What began as a simple boating trip becomes much more, and Aidan finds himself spirited away to the world of Erenos. Now possessing an immortal body not his own and wielding the powers of a mighty sea god, Aidan must tame the ocean within and without before madness and despair consumes him and all of Erenos.
Relationships: Aidan/Lyssa
Series: Apotheosis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024308
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. The Sea God's Summoning

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter I - The Sea God's Summoning  


Footsteps pounded against stone. Absolute chaos abounded. Panicked voices echoed through the halls. Temple guards raced through the halls, fending off blackened demons. A woman, clad in ornate white and blue robes, rushed down the spiral stone steps. Monsters trailed behind her.

Within the sanctum of the temple, she stood before a large metallic statue. Blank eyes stared back at her. Grooves traveled down the statue's face in parallel lines, and moved down his body in mirrored patterns. Among these patterns—the spiral of a nautilus shell, drops of water, and the head of a trident—adorned his shoulders, knees, and palms, respectively. The statue held an ornate trident in his left hand, while he held out his right in offering.

"Haidros, give me strength," The woman whispered.

Blackened shapes swarmed the sanctum. The woman closed her eyes, turned over her palms, and began to sing. Notes echoed through the halls. The monsters froze in place. They clasped their ears shut with clawed hands. 

One after another, the monsters turned on each other. Carnage ensued around the woman. Its brothers defeated, a lone demon hobbled toward her with maddened eyes. Before the monster could strike the woman, a man's voice rang out.

"Crawl back to the void from whence you came, Netherim!"

He pointed a cerulean staff. A pool of water formed around the monster. The Netherim let out a shriek as it began to sink into the water. It swiped and clawed at the watery prison around it. The man narrowed his eyes, and swung his staff. With one final cry, the Netherim drowned as the pool vanished into thin air. He turned his attention to the woman.

"Lennus," The man said, "I've been looking all over for you."

Lennus lowered her arms. She rushed toward the man, and embraced him.

"Almand, you have to take me into the shrine below."

Almand held onto her shoulders. Feeling her clutch his own blue robes in earnest, he looked down at her.

"You know I can't do that, Lennus. That part of the temple is forbidden to all but the High Father and the Temple Song Maiden. I recognize your ability, but you're still an apprentice! If he finds out what you're planning to do—"

"—The High Father is dead. The Netherim killed them both, Almand. I watched it happen. There is no other option now... we must find the Light of Haidros. We must summon the Erenoi. They're the only ones that can drive the Netherim back. An apprentice I may be, but I am still a Song Maiden. I can help you initiate the rites."

"And if the rites fail? What then, Lennus? The Sea God's wrath will send Vednas spiraling into the Abyss, and and the Light of Haidros will be lost to us forever. Are you willing to risk this?"

Lennus narrowed her eyes up at him.

"I am aware of the risks. If this should anger Him, so be it. I will gladly pay any price Haidros asks of me if it is to protect Erenos."

"Lennus..."

"I've made my decision. Show me the way, or I will find someone who will."

Pursing his lips, Almand released his hold on Lennus. He turned away from her and closed his eyes. As screams, shrieks and war cries grew louder and louder, he knew he did not have long to decide on their next course of action. Almand opened his eyes and glanced back at Lennus over his shoulder.

"...Let us make haste, then, before the Netherim finish what they've started this night."

"Thank you, Almand."

Almand turned around. He held up his staff, and pointed it at the sea god's statue. Its eyes glimmered a holy blue. The base of the statue moved aside, revealing a hidden staircase. The two of them rushed into its depths. Crystal lights glowed around them a soft blue, illuminating the way.

Shrieks filled the hallowed halls. The shadows of Netherim poured out of the darkness. Lennus dared not look back, nor did Almand. At the end of a winding hallway, a shining blue light cast away the darkness. The two of them made their way into a spiral-shaped, crystalline chamber.

Carved into the floor, the image of an ornate trident laid inset against a set of ocean waves. Silvery, organic shapes jetted out from the crystal that made up the chamber, like the tentacles of a kraken rising up from the sea. In the back of the chamber, a silver statue, depicting the same figure that guarded the entrance to these secret chambers, stared back at them with blank eyes. 

Cupped in the statue's open palms, a blue flame pulsed in anticipation. The grooves on the statue's hands, shaped like the head of a trident, glowed in response to the light. Power unimaginable radiated from the flame. It brushed against Lennus' skin, sending shudders throughout her body. Lennus stared back at the light in awe and reverence. 

"The Essence of Haidros... the High Father and the previous Song Maiden never allowed me into this chamber. I've never felt anything like this before. It's like being in the presence of a raging squall and a gentle tide all at once. Such raw power..." Lennus whispered.

Behind her, Almand pulled a thick steel door shut, and bolted it down. He raised his staff at the door. The crystal at the staff's head glowed. A barrier of water formed around the outside of the door. Blackened shapes bounced against the barrier. Almand turned around and gazed at Lennus.

"Are you ready, Lennus?"

"As ready as I will ever be."

Lennus glanced over at Almand and nodded. She closed her eyes, and held out her hands toward the light. Her voice echoed in song, the notes ringing all around her. Almand lowered himself onto his knees, and planted the end of his staff into the ground. He closed his eyes.

"Lord Haidros, Ruler of the Depths and Master of the Waves, we beseech You, O Holy One. You who guards the seas of this world from Your place beyond the reach of mortals, we offer this prayer unto You for protection and aid. Show us the path of salvation..."

Sheets of blue energy, like ocean waves, rose up along the walls of the chamber. Lennus' song grew in intensity, the waters moving in harmony with her voice. The grooves that covered every inch of the statue's body glowed the in response to the blue light, which intensified with the crackling of energy around them. An unnatural wind swirled around Lennus and Almand, like a raging hurricane.

"...and honor the ancient pact! I invoke the rites of the Erenoi in Your name. Lord Haidros! We implore You! Rise from the depths and walk this world again!"

A whine of energy filled the chamber. It drowned out Lennus' song. The eyes of the statue burned with blue energy. The pulsing light rose up from the statue's cupped hands. An explosion of energy rang out. Waves of blue light surged across the walls. One after another, Netherim burned in the light, dissolving into nothingness.

Unearthly silence hung in the air. Lennus opened her eyes. The blue light shot up and disappeared up the shaft of the chamber. Almand rose onto his feet and looked up, stunned by the events that had just unfolded. Lennus walked up to him.

"Did it work?" Lennus asked.

Almand pursed his lips.

"I don't know, Lennus... but something tells me that we'll find out soon enough..."

Motioning his hand over the head of his staff, the barrier of water guarding the door vanished with a splash. The pair unbolted the door, and made their way out of the chamber. No sign of the Netherim remained. They rose onto the steps leading back into the sanctum. As their feet touched the marble floor, the statue of Haidros slid back into place, hiding the holy chambers beneath once more.

\---

Days later, Lennus and Almand stood among a crowd of acolytes, priests, and hydromancers. Torches and braziers cast the holy sanctum in a warm, orange glow. Before the Statue of Haidros, a lone figure peered into the crowd. Ornate white robes, lined with gold, flowed around him. He carried an aged tome in his left hand, the cover decorated with a human face. An ornate staff glimmered in his right hand, the crystal white tip mirroring the warm light.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of High Father Valas and Song Maiden Dialna. For generations, they have guided the Order of Haidros. High Father Valas stood by our side in good times and bad, as both mentor and confidante. He gave his life in service to the people of Vednas, and to Lord Haidros most of all. We shall never forget his sacrifice on the night of the Netherim's attack on this sacred shrine..."

Lennus bowed her head in respect. As the figure went on with his speech, her eyes began to mist. In spite of her own sorrow, she listened intently to the figure's words. Almand turned toward Lennus.

"You think the Archminister will announce their successors?" He whispered to her.

She glanced back at him, her gaze annoyed.

"Shhhh, I'm trying to listen!" Lennus snapped.

Almand shook his head. Not wanting to irritate her any further, he turned his attention back to the Archminister's speech.

I forgot how much Song Maiden Dialna meant to her. We lost two great people in the attack, but... why? Why are the Netherim suddenly appearing again? Almand thought.

"Song Maiden Dialna, too, gave her life in service to Haidros. She taught our apprentices how to command the power of song. Her determination in the face of adversity, and her dedication to her duties, were second to none. To the people of the Vednas and the Southern Seas, she was a beacon of fortitude who could calm the very waters that are our home. 

"Although the loss of our two leaders fills us with untold sorrow... we must move on. We must not allow the Netherim to drive us into despair. In the face of this menace, we must unite and stand together as one. Standing among us now are two brave individuals, who have shown their dedication and worth before Lord Haidros and the Gods of Erenos."

The Archminister looked intently at Lennus and Almand. Almand's eyes widened. He gently elbowed Lennus, and motioned for her to shift her attention. Lennus gasped in surprise. All around them, the entire crowd turned their gaze toward the pair. With so many eyes on her, the apprentice shifted her weight in discomfort.

"Lennus Arendis and Almand Navarre, step forward."

Lennus drew in a deep breath. Glancing at one another, they nodded their heads as the crowd moved away from them. They stepped toward the Archminister in silence. Lennus and Almand dropped onto their knees in silence. Underneath the hood of his cowl, the Archminister curled his lips in a gentle smile. He pointed the head of his staff at Almand.

"Do you, Almand Navarre, solemnly swear to dedicate your life in service to Haidros, and to train, guide, and protect the people of the Southern Seas in His name?" The Archminister asked.

Almand closed his eyes.

"I do."

The Archminister turned his attention to Lennus. Dread and anticipation welled inside her. She dared not move, nor did she dare to shift her gaze away from the marble floor. As the Archminister pointed his staff toward her, his deep voice rang out once more.

"Do you, Lennus Arendis, solemnly swear to dedicate your life in service to Haidros, and to pass on your widsom and song to the people of the Southern Seas in His name?"

"I do."

Lennus felt the Archminister tap his ceremonial staff on the tips of her shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him step back toward Almand, and do the same. The Archminister then walked toward the center of them, and planted his staff into the ground.

"By the power invested in me by the Five Gods and the Eren Orthodoxy, I hereby name you High Father Almand and Song Maiden Lennus of the Order of Haidros. May the hand of the Sea God guide you and your apprentices on the path toward wisdom and enlightenment."

All around them, the crowd quietly offered their applause. The Archminister motioned for the two to rise. Lennus and Almand rose onto their feet, and turned around. What began as a solemn gathering had turned into a moment of celebration. Some time later, the gathering dispursed, and all, save for Lennus, Almand, and the Archminister, remained standing in the temple sanctum.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Archminister Seranno," Almand said.

Seranno held up his hand.

"It is I who should be thanking you. In the face of such danger, the two of you acted with courage and conviction. I could ask for nothing more out of Valas and Dialna's successors. As Archminister of the Eren Orthodoxy, it is my duty to oversee the five sects. I could not leave the Order of Haidros without leadership. However... that is not the only reason I came here."

Almand raised his eyebrow. Seranno turned around.

"There are matters I wish to discuss with the two of you... in private. Please come with me."

The Archminister held up his staff. The crystal head glowed a cerulean blue, and the Statue of Haidros slid away. Following the Arch Minister, the two of them made their way down the very halls that had before swarmed with Netherim. None of them said anything to one another. Even in the crystal blue light that abounded the passage, Lennus sensed something had changed since she and Almand last came here.

Lennus gazed at the robed silhouette of the Archminister in confusion. As Seranno opened the door that lead into the shrine where the Essence of Haidros once stood, a shudder of dread ran down her spine. Without the Sea God's power, the chamber felt silent, empty, and foreboding. Seranno stopped before the Statue of Haidros in the back of the open space.

"The two of you performed the rite of summoning, did you not?" Seranno asked.

Almand blinked.

"How did you know?"

Seranno laughed. He turned around and gazed at the pair intently.

"I saw the Essence of Haidros depart from my place in the Temple of the Five Gods. However, His was not the only one vanished from our world that night."

Lennus' eyes widened.

"You mean... the other four divine essences departed Erenos as well?" She shook her head. "How can that be? Our intent was to call Haidros back to the world and drive the Netherim back to the void!"

Seranno shifted his gaze toward Lennus.

"You have heard the stories, yes?" Seranno shifted his weight. "Surely, Dialna must have said something to you regarding the ancient myths."

Lennus pursed her lips. Almand gazed back at him, his expression blank. He stepped toward Seranno.

"Long ago, when the world was still young, Haidros, the God of Water, emerged from the depths of the ocean. Wielding a mighty trident, He carved out the land and the sea, giving birth to the islands we live on today. When His task was complete, He went on to assist His Brothers and Sisters in creating our world of Erenos. Before He and the Five Gods departed our world, Haidros left behind the Abyssal Trident, the essence of his power, and a promise to his creations: 'When Erenos lies on the brink of destruction, when all hope seems lost, call My name, and I shall answer'"

Seranno nodded his head at Almand.

"Yes, but there is more. Each of the Five Gods left behind the essence of their power. For generations, the temples of the Eren Orthodoxy have safeguarded them. Their power has kept our world in balance for aeons. Without it, our world will enter a state of decline, and eventually fall back into the void. The Netherim despise the Gods all they have made, and seek to bring about Erenos' destruction. Now that we are on the subject of the Netherim, what else do you remember?"

Lennus spoke up.

"Whenever the Netherim, spawn of the void, returns to consume Erenos, the gods will send forth their children, the Erenoi, to redeem it. For aeons, our world has been governed by the struggle of these opposing forces. It is said when the Netherim invade the world once more, the essences of the five gods will depart this world. There, they will return to the divine realm, and a new generation of Erenoi will return to protect Erenos once more."

Seranno smiled at Lennus.

"Very good, Song Maiden Lennus. I see that the two of you know your history well. Valas and Dialna will rest easy knowing that the Order of Haidros is in capable hands. Now then, back to the matter at hand... when you performed the rite of summoning, the Essence of Haidros departed the world, and the other four soon followed, despite only one of the Five Gods being summoned..."

Almand's expression turned solemn and grave. Lennus looked back at him and turned pale. The gravity in Seranno's tone intensified.

"This is a sign, my children: a sign that the cycle of the gods has begun once again."

"So then we have initiated the turning of the wheel..." Almand shook his head. "By the gods... I had no idea."

Seranno, sensing the fear in Almand's voice, offered a comforting gaze.

"The gods work in mysterious ways. You were not wrong in performing the rites. Had you done nothing, the Netherim would have destroyed Vednas, and the Essence of Haidros would have been lost forever. They would have then moved on to the rest of Erenos, and all would have been for naught."

"Archminister..." Lennus and Almand uttered.

"It is out of our hands now. All that we can do is hope... and pray," Seranno said.

Almand closed his eyes and shook his head.

"But what will become of our world? Without the essences of the five gods, Erenos will be destroyed!"

"I'm afraid only the Gods Themselves know the answer to that question, High Father. We will find out what the gods have planned for us soon enough..."

For the longest time, the three of them said nothing to one another. Seranno moved to exit the room, while Lennus and Almand followed. The wealth of information offered by the Archminister both enlightened and terrified them. Up until that point, neither of them understood the gravity of their actions on that night. The three of them made their way back into the sanctum of the temple.

The next day, as the sun began to rise over the waters surrounding Vednas, the two of them escorted the Archminister to a steamboat moored at the nearby city of Aquias. Priests from beyond the Southern Seas awaited them. The two of them helped the Archminister board the boat. As the boat set sail to lands beyond the Southern Seas, Seranno called out to Lennus and Almand one last time.

"May the Erenoi protect us," He called out to them.

"May the Erenoi protect us," They responded back.

Within moments, the ship made its way out of the harbor, and the two of them began the journey back to the temple.

\---

Beyond the fabric of time and space, the blue light sped through the stars. It left behind the world of Erenos, and instead came upon another—a world not of magic and steamworks, but of science and technology. The light streaked through the skies of this unsuspecting world, as if in search of something.

The light plunged into the waters of this new world. It sped by the marine and ocean life around it. Far above the surface of the water, the metal keel of a boat tore through the waves. Propellers cycled behind it, pushing the boat forward. Somewhere, deep within the boat, the light found the object it sought out—a soul.

The world the light had entered? It was none other than our very own Earth. And the soul it found on that boat? That soul, it turned out, was none other my own.


	2. Aidan, Spirited Away

My name is Aidan Piersson. I started out life as the youngest of two children to a happy couple of beach goers. Before all of this happened, I was scared witless of the sea. It got to the point where even a picture of the ocean made my palms sweat. Some people find calm listening to the ocean waves lapping on the shore, and while staring into the deep blue abyss. I was not one of those people. As a matter of fact, I made it a point to avoid anything related to the sea, much less deep water in general.

Then by some twisted work of fate, I became the very thing I feared most: the sea itself. Back then, I had no idea Erenos existed. I lived a life—an existence—far removed from the one I live now. I was just an ordinary person, doing the best they could to juggle work and life. Sure, I had problems like anybody else, but for the most part, phobia aside, I was happy.

I still remember waking up to the sun beaming through my apartment window that morning. The eve of that fateful boat trip, before everything in my life turned upside down. Off in the corner of my bedroom, my suitcase laid packed and ready for the boat trip my parents had invited me to join. Yet I still laid in bed, staring at the phone beside my pillow, exhausted and anxious. 

_You can still cancel,_ I told myself, _Just tell them work called, the servers went up in flames, and you have to take care of it. You don't have to do this. You don't have to get on that boat. They'll understand. They won't think any less of you._

A part of me wanted to text her right then and there, to give her that excuse so I wouldn't have to face those open waters. I couldn't bring myself to do it, to lie to my mother like that. My mother would have seen through it, and I'd never hear the end of it from my father, for chickening out like this. As I brushed the strands of brown hair out of my eyes, I recalled what she said to me over the phone: 

"Aidan, you have to make a positive change in your life. If you want to get any better, you need to face your fear head on. You can't let this phobia of yours control your life forever. Don't you want to have be able to come on beach trips with us? What you're doing isn't healthy. I love you very, very much, but you need to take this step!" 

My mother was completely right, of course. That didn't stop the unease I felt about this trip. The very thought of getting on that boat, and being stuck out on open water, with no way back to land made me panic like never before. 

The sound of my phone's alarm, accompanied by buzzing, filled my ears. I grabbed the phone, and swiped the alarm off. With a sigh, I pushed the covers off my body and sat upright.

_Look, you don't even have to be on deck. You can just hang out in your bunk until the trip is over. That way, you can still at least save face._

Shaking my head, and gritted my teeth and walked toward my closet. As I grabbed a towel and showered for the day, I did my best to push my anxiety and apprehension as far back into my mind as I could. Several minutes later, I slipped into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and focused on positive thoughts.

_You're going to enjoy yourself. Everything will be fine. We'll all have a good time, and you can finally put this to rest. Nothing is going to happen out there, Aidan. Just relax and have fun._

I had no idea what laid in store for me on that trip, and the forces I would soon encounter during that voyage. That night would forever alter the course of my life.

\---

Later that afternoon, I stepped into a parking lot, duffel bag slung over my shoulder. My eyes glanced toward the nearby buildings in search of my family. As I took in deep breaths of salty sea air, a familiar fear welled in the pit of my stomach. Shudders rippled across my skin, while my heart raced.

Taking in a deep breath, I shifted my attention to the concrete beneath my feet. If I could just find where my parents waited for me, maybe, just maybe, I could get through this without having a massive heart attack. All I had to do was not focus on the ocean... or the other boats leaving the marina...

"Aidan!"

I perked my head up at the sound of my mother's voice. Glancing around, I spotted my parents and my older sister waving at me from across the dock. My father motioned for me to join them. I ran as fast as I could, my mind screaming. 

"Aidan, over here!"

My sister resumed off-loading their jeep. Sweat poured down my face. I couldn't stop the panic that blared in the back of my head. As I stopped to catch my breath, my mother made her way over toward me. She hugged me tightly, even as my body trembled in her arms.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Aidan."

I forced a smile on my lips.

"Y-yeah, me too, Mom..." 

_Way to go, Aidan! Boy, you sure have this under all under control! Mom is sure going to feel confident that you won't scramble off the boat the minute we leave port. Speaking of the boat..._

"...So, uh... w-where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"T-the boat..."

My mother pulled away from me. She pointed toward the farthest dock. Off into the distance, at the very far end of the pier, a large white motorboat sat ominously in the water. The shape towered over the other boats in the docks. I stared back at it, like a deer caught in headlights.

I swallowed hard, frozen where I stood. My breathing quickened. The sight of it made me want to vomit. I squinted my eyes shut. Right then and there, my mind screamed at me to run away. In an effort to save face, I took several deep breaths to calm down.

_It's alright, Aidan. Calm down. It's just a boat. Nothing is going to happen. Just go off-load your things and help Dad out._

"Aidan? Are you alright? You're turning pale."

My fingers tightened their grip around the shoulder strap. I sprinted toward the boat. Nausea welled inside me. I ran below deck, past the galley, and toward the guest cabins.

_Why am I doing this to myself? This is a bad idea. This is a really bad idea. I need to get away from here. I'll drown out there on the ocean!_

_C'mon, Aidan! It's just a boat! You made it this far! You can't quit now. You can get past this. Just take a moment to breathe..._

I wiped the sheets of sweat on my forehead. With my back against the bed, I peered up at the small lights on the ceiling. My fingers clenched the comforter. For several minutes, I sat there, trying to slow my breathing and my pulse.

_I don't know if I can go back out there. I'm having enough of a heart attack just getting my things on board. I hope Mom and Dad won't be too upset if leave them to it..._

"Aidan, you down there? Dad needs you to help him off-load some stuff!" My sister's voice rang out through the lower deck.

_Oh fuck me._

"Coming..."

Against my better judgment, I forced myself back onto my feet. I ran out of my room. My stomach churned. I didn't get far before the urge to vomit caught up with me. As I ran back up to the main deck, I grabbed the railing of the boat. I hung my head off the side and gagged.

The world spun around me. Coughing I pulled myself away from the railing. Unable to focus, I collapsed into a heap on deck. I closed my eyes and started hyperventilating

_Why can't I be normal? Normal people don't do stuff like this. Normal people don't get scared of the ocean. They go on boating trips and enjoy themselves. This shouldn't be so hard. I should be able to do this. What is wrong with me?!_

Footsteps tore me away from my thoughts. I looked up at the faces of my mother, father, and sister. They peered back at me with concern.

"Aidan? Is everything alright?"

I shook my head between shallow gulps of air. I was not doing well. They could see that I wasn't doing well. The fact that I was on this boat, and preparing to embark on the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life, was more than I could handle.

Crissy and my mother looked away. My father knelt and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I turned my eyes away from him, ashamed. Out the corner of my eye, I watched Crissy disappear below deck along with my mother.

"Son, you need to get it together," My father said to me in a hushed tone, "Don't let the fear get to you. Take five and come help me finish the off-load."

I nodded my head between breaths. He patted my shoulder, and then stepped away. The sun's beating rays blared into my eyes. I sat back up. It took several minutes before I calmed back down. Even as my body shook and my dread increased, I pushed myself to step over the railing and back onto the docks.

_Don't look at the ocean. Just whatever you do, don't look at the ocean. Don't stare at anything else but that jeep across the way. Just focus on helping Dad out so you can get this over with._

My heart fluttered. I gazed down at the wooden planks of the pier, ignoring the sickening slosh of the water below. I ran toward the jeep. Inside, my father inched a large, cardboard box out of the back seat. I grabbed the other end of the box, and slowly lowered it onto the concrete. My father closed the door, and with a beep from his keys, locked the door.

"Good, you came just in time. Aidan, help me load this onto the boat."

On the count of three, we lifted each end of the box off the ground. I grunted and inched my way backwards toward the pier. The wind toyed with my bangs, making an already difficult task even harder. As my eyes caught sight of the ocean, my knees weakened.

"Here, I'll lead. You pull."

We whirled around. I faced away from the ocean, and walked backwards toward the boat. Glancing over at my father, I let out a sigh of relief.

_Thanks, Dad._

After several minutes of inching our way along the wooden planks, the two of us lifted the box onto the boat. The two of us climbed over the railing and inched the box over to the wheelhouse. There, the two of us left the box. My father patted me on the shoulder.

"I knew you could do it, Aidan."

I said nothing as my father stepped out of the wheelhouse. Instead, I rushed back through the main deck. There, I made my way back into the galley and into my cabin. I laid down on my bed.

_Okay, Aidan. Hard part's over. Now all you have to do is just hang out in this cabin until the trip is over._

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get comfortable. Even moored in the harbor, the swaying of the boat made me nauseous. Everything whirled around me. As we finally set sail, the ill sensations only worsened.

The boat rocked, and I tumbled on either side of the bed. The urge to vomit swept over me. I stumbled into the nearby bathroom, and threw up. Without a doubt, I was the most miserable, seasick person on that boat.

I didn't join my parents for dinner that night. Instead, I laid down inside my cabin, nauseous and on pins and needles from the whole affair. Shaking underneath covers, I clutched the sleeves of my t-shirt. As I tried to lay down and get some rest, a knock on my cabin door jarred me awake.

"Aidan? You still awake?" My mother's voice called out.

I slapped my hand against my forehead. Wiping away the sweat that drenched my face, I glanced over toward the door.

"Yeah, Mom..." I groaned.

"Are you decent? I have something for you."

"Come in..."

The door to my cabin opened. My mother stepped into the room, clad in a lavender bathrobe. In her hands, she carried two bottles: a water bottle, and a vial of pills. She handed them to me. I read the label—Benadryl.

"Crissy said you weren't feeling well. I thought this might help." My mother smiled. "We left you something in the fridge as well. Hope you feel better, Aidan."

I glanced up at her and returned a small smile of my own. 

"Thanks, Mom..."

"Try to get some sleep. I know it's been a rough go for you today, but just want you to know how proud of you your father and I are, for taking this step."

I nodded at her, too tired to continue the conversation any further. She turned to leave my cabin. Before she did so, my mother said one last thing to me:

"Good night, Aidan. Carpe diem."

She disappeared through the doorway, and closed the door behind her. Despite the vertigo, I sat up in my bed, and took the Benadryl. Then I laid back down.

They say that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. I never saw my mother again after that. I never forgave myself for not telling her how much I loved her.

\---

That night, I tossed and turned in my bed. Unable to get comfortable, I sat up. As ocean water sprayed the window outside my cabin, a familiar dread reared in the back of my mind. Tired, exhausted, and anxious all at once, I turned to the nearby sink.

_Where the hell did it go? I thought I had my water bottle over here..._

I pushed the covers off my body and searched the area. Rolling around on the floor, the water bottle shifts back and forth. Irritated, I knelt down and picked the water bottle off the floor. As I sat back down, I unscrewed the cap and took a sip, and within moments, cool relief traveled down my throat.

_Two more days. I just have to survive two more days of this. I can do this._

Rain droned against the deck above me. I pulled myself back on my feet. My stomach growled. Grumbling, I slipped out of bed and grabbed a spare bathrobe hanging from my cabin door. 

As I turned the knob, a flash of blue light erupted from outside. I raised my hands and shielded my eyes from the intense rays. A loud crash followed. I fell down on the floor. The groan of metal shook around me.

Startled, I grabbed the doorknob and pulled myself back onto my feet. My pulse quickened. Goosebumps rippled across my skin. Adrenaline rushed through me. I turned my dread toward my family.

_What was that? Are Mom and Dad okay? Is Crissy alright?_

Flickers of blue light pulsed through the window. I rushed out of my cabin. My bathrobe fell on the ground, leaving me in a white shirt and a pair of shorts. Passing through the galley, I climbed the ladder up to the main deck of the ship. There, floating at the very end of the bow, an orb of glowing blue light shimmered in the storm. A gasp escaped my lips.

_What the..._

For the longest time, I stared into the light, mesmerized by its radiance. Something called out to me, urging me from the depths of my soul. A voice, ancient and otherworldly, beckoned me from beyond the light. I could not make out the words. Water sloshed around my bare feet. I paid no attention to my rain-soaked clothes, and the soaked brown bangs that dripped in the storm. 

Like a moth to a flame, I walked closer it. A part of my mind cried out, pleading for me to run away. I became a passenger in my own flesh, unable to resist the force that took hold of me. Voices called out from behind me, also screaming at me to get away. They sounded so distant to me. Everything grew distant, from the ocean waves to the cries of family and crew that night.

I stood mere inches from the light, gazing back at it. My mind went blank as I reached a hand toward the light. Time slowed to a crawl. The light intensified, and in a flash, it collided with my body. I flew backwards through the air. The light melted into my chest, until it had vanished completely.

My body collapsed on the deck. I tried to open my eyes, but they refused to obey. I heard my mother crying out at someone, but I could not make out what she said, or who it was directed at. My heart throbbed in my chest. Every inch of my skin burned hot and uncomfortable.

_What's happening to me?!_

Energy seared down my skin, branding my flesh. Unimaginable pain, like being set on fire, surged through me. Nothing, not even the rainstorm, cooled me down. I pushed away the hands of those around me and began to rip off my shirt. My eyes burst open, burning with the very power that infested my being.

Lines of energy traced my body. Parallel patterns formed along my arms and legs. It streamed up my face and into my eyes. Screaming, I ran toward the edge of the boat. The sound of my mother's shrill cries filled my ears. I plummeted into the water below. As I sank into the murky ocean depths, an aged voice spoke into my mind. It uttered these words to me, words that I will never forget:

**Now you and I shall become as one...**

The world faded into blue, and I knew no more.

\---

As I slept in darkness, the light spirited me into the depths of the ocean. Having gotten what it came for, the light sped through the ocean of Earth, before departing for the ocean of stars beyond. It disappeared beyond a dimensional crevasse, until it came upon another world.

The blue light, floating in the heavens above a ring of islands, spiraled into the dark depths at its center. It ventured deeper and deeper, until only a sliver of moonlight breached the waters above. At the very bottom, an ancient temple, framed by crystal, arose from the ocean floor.

It glided through the water, until it reached a room. An ornate trident, implanted in a stone slab, rested in front of an empty throne framed by silver and crystal. Behind the throne, the light floated before a chamber.

Like globs of flesh, the walls of the chamber shuddered and gasped. Formless shapes slithered up, down, and across the pulsing mounds along the walls, like pools of quicksilver in the darkness. Those shapes slunk toward the spiral shape at the center. As the blue light entered the chamber, the silver liquid amassed at the spiral. 

The light sank into the liquid, dragging my unconscious soul down with it. Silver mass gathered form. A protective shell formed at the center of the room. Leylines of blue energy traced the surface of the tiny chrysalis, driving out the darkness. Like a perverted womb, a fetal shape took form inside it. It was here, inside that form, at the very bottom of the Abyss on Erenos, that my rebirth and metamorphosis began.

I would not awaken—nor become aware of any of this—for another 50 years.


	3. The Song Maiden

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter III - The Song Maiden  


While I slept at the bottom of the Abyss, decades passed in the world above. A crisis of unseen proportions gripped the islands of the Southern Seas. Fish and aquatic life grew more and more scarce with every passing year. Once the pillars of their communities, fisherman found themselves unable to feed their families. Even the land itself refused to yield its bounty to the farmers that lived there.

No place knew the growing famine more than the canal city of Aquias, capital of Vednas. Here, another story unfolded—one that would eventually alter the course of my life forever. A lone woman, dressed in a white veil, made her way through a desolate marketplace. Beggars clamored at her feet, pleading for food, water, and shelter. For the briefest moment, she stopped and gave them a look of pity.

"A coin? Spare me a coin, milady?"

"Please... I have a wife and daughter..."

"So... hungry..."

"Haidros has abandoned us..."

"Why have the five gods cursed us so?"

In spite of their words, the woman carried on in silence. Towering over the island, a large lighthouse shimmered on in the pristine daylight. Facing the harbor beyond, the statue of a young man covered in leylines peered over the ocean waters with blank eyes. In his right hand, he pointed an ornate trident toward the water, while he held his left hand out in offering. Among the lines that ran down his body, his open left palm bore the head of a trident.

Before its proud visage, the woman stood in awe at the holy figure sitting against the lighthouse. She curtsied and turned to face the winding canals of the city one last time.

"I am sorry... I have neither food nor coin to offer you," She whispered toward the town and closed her eyes, "All I can offer is my prayers to the sea god on your behalf, everyone..."

Without another word, she walked up the many steps leading to the temple proper. The woman stepped up to the temple gates, and knocked on the large metal doors. For several minutes, she waited in silence, taking in the ocean breeze and the crying of gulls around her. Her mind drifted elsewhere.

_Mother will be angry at me if I don't return soon. Even then, I'm not sure she will like the news I have to bring..._

"...Lyssa?" A voice called out.

Lyssa turned around, and stared into the beady eyes of a scholar. For a brief moment, the scholar's eyes lit up at the sight of her. As he studied the grim expression on her face, his smile lowered.

"Karras, where is my mother?" she asked.

Karras adjusted the thick, brass rims of his glasses. Underneath her veil, Lyssa could do little to hide her fear and anxiety from the elder man. He closed his eyes.

"Lennus is assisting High Father Dunland in training the acolytes right now..." Karras paused. "Something terrible has happened. You have returned from your pilgrimage so soon..."

Lyssa looked away, unable to bear looking into his eyes any longer. She turned around, facing the impoverished city beyond. Dead grass covered the island, a sad testament to the famine that ravaged the island. She glanced over at her shoulder, while Karras motioned for her to follow him.

The two said nothing else as Karras lead Lyssa into the temple. She followed the old man through the storied halls. The two of them stepped into the sanctum, where the looming statue of Haidros veered down at them with blank, emotionless eyes. Lyssa crossed her arms and knelt before the statue, filled with both awe and reverence at the being it depicted.

"Haidros guide us," they whispered in unison.

Karras turned toward Lyssa, who studied the ornate trident held in the statue's hand.

"Wait here. I will return shortly."

Karras disappeared into the temple, leaving Lyssa alone with her thoughts and prayers toward the people. 

\---

Minutes passed into hours. Lyssa stood before the statue of Haidros, the orange light of torches illuminating its silver surface. Cupping her hands toward the statue, her voice echoed in song. An aura of silver-blue energy surrounded her. Her thoughts shaped her notes, voice moving in tune with the plucked strings of a crystal harp. 

_O Lord of the Ocean, Giver of Life, I pray to You for guidance and protection. I offer You my song, and I pass onto You the prayers of Vednas. You who gaze above from Your place in the darkness of the Abyss, hear us! The islands You have given us, the islands we care for on Your behalf, have become barren. The seas no longer yield their bounty of life. The Netherim, Your eternal enemies, wander our world, destroying everything You have created... and hold dear. Please, I beseech You, God of Water. Help us! Tell us what we must do to end this famine and restore our world of Erenos!_

Tears streamed down Lyssa's face. She fell onto the ground, weary and exhausted from her ritual. Her harp clamored against the ground, landing beside her.

"I could not hear the voices of the water spirits. It's just like the oracle said... have even Haidros' messengers abandoned us? Is my power not enough to reach the Sea God?"

She pushed herself onto her feet. The sound of movement echoed through the dark hallways. Beyond the dim torchlight, the face of an elderly woman appeared from the shadows. Gray hair fell down her face, while wrinkles traced every inch of her skin. Lyssa's eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Mother..."

Lennus stepped into the light, her eyes never leaving her daughter for a second. Lyssa lowered her veil and bowed in respect. In turn, her mother gazed back at her, stern and discerning.

"The look on your face tells me something has happened. There can be no other reason for why you have returned so soon after beginning your pilgrimage across the isles..." Lennus took in a deep breath before continuing. "Did you reach the Oracle of Talis?"

Lyssa nodded.

"Talis was the first place I went to, Mother. I know everyone is suffering because of the famine. You know I want to help everyone as best as I can..."

"...What did the Oracle tell you, Lyssa?"

Emotion whirled inside of Lyssa. She knew not where to begin her story. As her mother gazed back at her with impatience, she mulled over her words.

"The Oracle brings ill tidings. She spoke to me of a dark future for Erenos, mother. The Collapse is imminent."

Lennus' eyes widened in horror.

"What..."

Lyssa nodded, her lips scrunched in a frown.

"I didn't know what she meant. She told me that unless the Erenoi appear soon, Erenos will slide further and further into ruin, until the Void swallows everything completely. I reached out to the water spirits, begging for answers, Mother. Instead of the spirits' song, I only heard deafening silence..."

Lyssa stepped forward.

"What does she mean, Mother? What is 'The Collapse'?"

Lennus closed her eyes. Sensing her daughter's fear, she motioned for her to stand up. The two embraced each other, not as master and apprentice, but as two people tied by blood. Lennus held onto Lyssa's trembling form, running her bony fingers across the white fabric of her daughter's shawl.

"Come. This is not the place to have this discussion. Let us go out to the pier."

\---

Water sloshed against aged wood and stone. Lennus and Lyssa stood over a wooden railing, peering into the ocean beyond. Distant islands poked up along the horizon, bathed in the fading orange light. The salty sea air calmed Lennus' nerves. She closed her eyes, mulling over her words just as carefully as her own daughter had moments ago. 

"Fifty years ago, when I was around your age, I assisted High Father Almand in performing the rites to summon the Erenoi. Our prayers caused the Light of Haidros to vanish from this world. You know that much from your history lessons, I'm sure."

Lyssa nodded.

"Yes..."

Lennus turned her back toward the railing. Her gray strands of hair flailed in the ocean breeze. The ocean waters, calm and silent, lapped against the shoreline beneath them. Lyssa stared back at her, her eyes pleading for answers.

"Our world is sustained by five forces, Lyssa. Although we pledge our lives in service to the God of Water, His Essence is but one of many that has allowed our world to prosper. Without the Essences of the Gods, Lyssa... our world will collapse into nothingness. That is what the Oracle meant..." Lennus took in a deep breath. "High Father Almand and I waited days for the Light of Haidros to return. I waited on this very pier, calming the spirits. After many days of prayer and service to the people, the Light of Haidros appeared from the heavens. I watched it disappear into the Abyss, far beyond the reaches of Vednas.

"For months, we believed our prayers had been answered. We believed that Haidros had sent one of His Children to us to restore our world. Instead of our fortunes turning for the better, they did much the opposite..."

Lyssa's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped. She could not believe the words that left her mother's mouth.

"You have seen it for yourself, Lyssa. Dead and dying fish have washed up along the shore, as well as other sea-life. With each passing year, the sea has yielded less and less for our people. Even the land has stopped producing crops for us to eat. If nothing changes, life for us and our people will come to an end..."

Lyssa held her mother's hand, her face solemn. The gravity of her mother's words sent chills down her spine. Lennus, in turn, held her daughter tightly.

"Mother... what can I do to help?"

"Pray, my child. Hope and pray to Haidros that His Child will appear soon. Without the Erenoi's power, there is little we can do..."

"What about my pilgrimage? Do you still want me to resume contacting the water spirits?"

Lennus held her chin in thought. She pondered her daughter's suggestion, weighing her options. After several tense minutes, Lennus glanced back down at Lyssa.

"Some day, Lyssa, you will take my place as the Song Mother of our temple. In order to develop your song, you must make contracts with the water spirits. Only when our voices echo in harmony and unison can we bring peace and heal the troubled souls around us. I do want you to resume your pilgrimage, but, in the face of the troubling news you have brought me tonight, I have another task for you."

Lyssa returned an eager expression.

"What would you have me do, Mother?"

"Tomorrow morning, I want you to research the Tideborn Scrolls."

Lyssa frowned.

"But Mother, those only contain information regarding the Creation of Erenos and the Eren Orthodoxy! How will this help...?"

"There may yet contain information relevant to the decline our world is facing. For now... get some rest..."

Lyssa paused for a moment, unenthusiastic about the task set before her. As the two of them walked back to the Temple of Haidros, Lyssa found herself pondering the grim fate that would befall their world in the absence of the Five Gods' power. That fear loomed in the back of her mind as she made her way into her chambers. Before long, she drifted off into uneasy sleep.

\---

The next morning, Lyssa made her way to the Temple Archives. Taking a seat beside a window, she gathered several scrolls, and began to read the ancient, aged writing written on their surfaces...

\---

_Long ago, before life and the world of Erenos existed, there was only the Void: A place of endless darkness, gas and dust, which flowed into nothingness. Within its center, a crevasse tore into the darkness, and a speck of white light appeared from it. The light grew larger and larger, until it was as large as the sun. Five smaller lights emerged from it: green, blue, yellow, red, and white._

_A masculine figure formed from within the green light. Lines of energy traced his form, covering every part of his body. He looked around the void gathers the boundless gas and dust in his hands. Like a skilled artist, he molded and sculpted the dust like clay, until all that remained was a magma-covered ball of fire._

_The blue light approached the green's handiwork. He held his chin in careful thought before gathering energy in his arms. Golden light washed over the protoplanet. Gases began to condense, and soon endless rainfall covered the green's creation. Magma cooled into hardened earth while the gases became trapped by the infant world's pull. An atmosphere formed, and parts of the earth submerged into water._

_Satisfied with his work, the blue nodded at the green, who grinned with joy. Although impressed with their work, the yellow looked at what the green and blue had made. The world was motionless, timeless, and stagnant. Drawing on his power, the yellow formed patterns across the fledgling skies. The clouds began to move and follow the patterns He laid out. Time preceded onward in perfect order and rhythm._

_The red light joined the others. Unlike the others, it possessed a feminine form. She gazed down at the world and filled it with Her light. The skies, clouds, even the very earth the green created seethed with newfound energy. The heavens shifted and strained against the earth, while the earth grew and overcame the unforgiving sea, transposing and evolving against the yellow's pattern._

_Finally, the white light approached. Covered in lines like the others, She looked at the green and smiled. The white pulsed Her energy over the world they created. Countless lights spread out from Her form, filling the world and the void. The lights joined with the gas and dust of the void to create stars, while the others that went to the world below wandered, conscious but without form._

_Green pursed His lips in deep thought, and the blue looked down at the white's creation with sadness. The two of them turn to the other lights. With a nod of their head, each of them journeyed to the world They had given birth to and set forth to further their creation._

_The green gathered the earth and sculpted it into thousands of forms. Using the water, the blue dissolved the earth into clay. The red filled the lifeless clay statues with vitality, while the yellow gave them a defined order. As the clay twisted under the red's chaos, the white light pulsed and sang with a heavenly voice._

_Like fireflies, the souls wandered to Her, as if summoned. She pointed to the clay forms the others created. The souls entered the clay forms. From the clay emerged animals, beasts, people, and all manner of plant life. The newly created lifeforms turned to their creators with awe and reverence. The auras of energy disappeared from the lights, leaving nothing but silver-skinned humanoids. Their eyes smoldered and burned with the energy of their individual colors- green, blue, yellow, red, and white._

_With their labors completed, the five set out for the far reaches of this new world. Over time, the people of this world came to call it Erenos, and the five gods who created it the Eren._

_Albion, the Lord of the Wild, made His home in the forests of Erenos. Where ever He walked, plants and greenery took root. Animals roamed the plains and savannahs around Him. By His will, He shaped the mountains and the landscape. Over time, He established the westernmost continent as His domain._

_Haidros, the Ruler of the Depths, thrived in the waters of Erenos. All aquatic life, from shrimp to fish to even the mighty kraken, swam by His side. Colonies of coral blossomed on the sea floor, and forests of kelp thrived. The ebb and flow of water bowed to His will. It is said that Haidros made His home at the bottom of the Abyss, in Erenos' southernmost seas, surrounded by a chain of islands._

_Ordanas, the Observer of Time, tended not to the flow of water, but the never-ending precession of history. He draws the patterns that governs the world of Erenos, from the transitions of day and night to the movement of the stars above. Legends claim that Ordanas once made His home beyond the heavens, in a place lost to the mists of time._

_Randzei, the Artisan of Chaos, commanded the power of magic. Ever unpredictable, She planted the seed of change within the creatures that roamed Erenos. Over time, She came to be known as "Lady Luck", the fickle muse that spoke to the hearts of gamblers, thieves, kings, artists, and sorcerers alike. In the eastern wastelands, surrounded by war and bloodshed, She ruled with an iron fist._

_Einferia, the Guide of Spirits, shepherded the souls of Erenos. All spirits originating from Einferia's power must return to Her on their death. She watches over the River of Souls, and controls the ultimate fate of all beings. It is said that She made Her domain in the northernmost continent, in the far reaches of the tallest mountains._

_Millennia passed, and the Eren vanished from the world. Each of them left behind the essence of their power, and one last commandment to their creations: "If danger should befall Erenos, pray to Us, and We shall answer." They each came to reside within five sacred temples, where the people of Erenos watched over and safeguarded them._

_For a time, peace reigned across Erenos. Civilizations grew powerful, and great schools of magic were formed. Machines of clockwork and steam became commonplace, and the people thrived. However, not all was as it seemed. There were forces at work— forces that wanted to undo the Eren's creations._

_Far in the depths of the stars, in the remaining darkness of the void, a shadow loomed. A lingering anger and resentment shuddered across the stars. Then, without warning, grotesqueries poured out from the void and into Erenos. The Netherim, the spawn of the void's bitter hatred of the Eren and Their creations, corrupted all that they touched._

_Teetering on the brink of collapse, the people of Erenos prayed to the Eren for salvation. One by one, the five essences shot out toward the heavens, and breached the dimensional crevasse to return to the realm from which the Eren came. When all hope seemed lost, the five essences returned to the world. The essences hurtled themselves into the deepest reaches of each of the Eren's domains. When the people looked on, five wombs, made from the very same flesh as the gods, appeared before them._

_From these wombs arose their Children, the Erenoi, who bore the power of their divine ancestors. Using this power, They drove the Netherim out of Erenos. Then They ushered in another age of change. God and mortal alike walked beside one another, as they had done at the genesis of the world. Like Their progenitors before them, this new generation of Erenoi governed their domains. After some time, just as those before them had done, They too vanished from Erenos entirely, returning to the divine realm from which they came and leaving behind the essences of the gods._

_Between the passage of aeons, the Netherim would return. The essences of the gods would depart Erenos, and bring about another generation of divine children to drive away the spawn of the void. They would govern the world, and then when the time came, return to the Divine Realm from whence They came. Each time, the cycle would be heralded by a different child of the Eren. More millennia passed, and the Erenoi faded into myth. The people of Erenos forgot about the Erenoi. Only a handful of people still believed in the old gods._

_One such place stood in the southern seas, on the island of Vednas, far into the domain of Haidros. There, the Order of Haidros, a sect of the Eren Orthodoxy, watches over the Essence of Haidros. For centuries, the Order of Haidros has tended to the Temple of the Sea God, situated near the canal city of Aquias. Lead by a High Father, the Temple serves not only as a place of worship, but of education._

_Those who show latent talent in the arcane arts are often selected to be trained in the arts of Hydromancy. Among the ranks of the Order are the Song Maidens—women who utilize the power of magic through song. They have been long sought after for their connection to the Abyss, for it is said that sleeping within its depths is the Abyssal Trident, the holy weapon of Haidros and His progeny. Whoever gains control of the Abyssal Trident controls the very seas of Erenos itself._

_Yet the cycle of the gods turns ever onward, and history repeats. Beyond the veil of darkness, The Netherim prepare to invade Erenos once more, so that they will finish the task they began so long ago. Deep within the Temple of Haidros, the divine essence thrums, awaiting the moment when another child of Haidros will be called into the world._

_So it has been mandated by the Five Gods. So it shall be done..._


	4. Aidan, Death and Rebirth

**Apotheosis: Haidros**

Chapter IV - Aidan, Death and Rebirth

For the longest time, I drifted in darkness. I saw nothing, heard nothing... _felt_ nothing. Time ceased to exist. Lost in dreamless slumber, I could do nothing. The embrace of oblivion dulled my senses and numbed my thoughts.

Out of nowhere, the silence broke. Whale songs echoed all around me. Dolphin cries followed. Bubbles flowing through water filled my ears, moving all around me. I groaned, confused by the sounds. 

_Where...? Where... am... I...?_

Weightlessness gave way to sinking immobility. Lethargy and grogginess washed over my body. I struggled to lift my eyelids, which refused to move. I languished in darkness, unable to awaken.

I wanted to fall asleep once more. I wanted to drift away, to be one with the peaceful darkness. My mind moved in and out of consciousness. The darkness' embrace seemed so alluring, so comforting to me. The warmth of this place soothed me, as though I had returned to my mother's womb. As I furrowed my brow, a voice called out from the darkness, pulling me out of dreamless sleep...

**Son... my son...**

The ancient voice echoed around me in every direction. My eyelids fluttered in the darkness. Hazy blue light pulsed around me, unfocused and blurry. I could do little to stop myself from closing my eyes again. I felt so very tired... and so very confused...

Bubbles brushed against my skin. Muffled noises echoed through the liquid surrounding me. 

**Child of my womb... the hour of your rebirth has arrived...**

Searing warmth traveled down my skin and face. Stillness gave way to fear. The memory of my encounter with the blue light filled my mind. Glowing symbols branded my flesh, tracing patterns along every limb of my body. As terror gripped my mind, the ancient voice called out once more.

**Awaken, my son... Awaken...**

Compelled by the voice, my eyes snapped open. I found myself suspended in fluid, with my arms and legs tucked into my chest. Walls of pulsating silver flesh greeted my eyes, followed by bubbles floating through liquid. I tore my hand and legs away from myself, and whipped my head around. To my own horror, I found those same walls surrounding me from all sides, pulsing with blue light in vein-like patterns...

_What is this?!_

My heart raced. I could not breathe. Terror drowned out all reason. The walls felt as though they started closing in on me. As I grasped at the fleshy membrane confining me, I panicked.

Then, amid the terror and confusion, it awoke. Blue light silhouetted me. From deep within me, a force unlike anything I had ever known manifested. Energy surged through every part of my body.

_No... no! I don't want to die! I don't want to drown! Oh God, please don't let me drown...!_

I looked down at my shadowed form, and watched as the same patterned that branded my skin on the deck of that boat manifested once more. Pressure built up within me and around me. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to stop the overwhelming flow of power from assaulting my senses. The sound of walls crumbling, followed by the droning hum of energy, ravaged my ears.

A loud boom tore through the madness. Currents of water swirled around me, surging with blue energy. Within moments, I found myself sucked into a raging whirlpool. I screamed at the top of my lungs, unable to escape the torrent of water and energy. 

_What's happening?!_

The current of water pulled me higher, until I floated at the center of a swirling cyclone of water. Cascades of torrential rain, wind, and lightning swirled around the vortex. My heart throbbed in my chest. The sound of my screams echoed in every direction. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, my will fighting against the alien power rushing through every part of me.

**...and redeem this world.**

Time slowed to a crawl. Boundless power raged inside me without restraint. Thunder rumbled through the air. Lightning flashed through the downpour. Powerless to stop myself, I wrapped my arms around my torso.

_Stop! Make it stop!_

Just suddenly as the madness had begun, it ended. The column of water housing my form collapsed into the sea. Hot, searing energy receded into my skin. My eyes opened, and I plummeted from the heavens.

Wreckage littered the skies, falling into the vast waters below. As debris collided with my body, I found myself hurdling toward a distant ship at breakneck speed. My blood curdling screams echoed through the air. Terrified beyond belief, my body spun toward the deck of the ship.

The screams of the crew filled my ears as my back collided violently against the metal flooring. It caved in around me, and I fell through a hole onto a stack of wooden crates. Laying on my back, I closed my eyes, taking in deep gulps of air.

For several tense minutes, I dared not move a muscle. My heart pounded in my chest. Every part of my body shook. The smell of the salty sea air, combined with the sounds of metal slicing through water, left me on edge. Howling wind billowed above me while intense rain pelted my surroundings.

Cold water dripped onto my face and chest. As the water touched my skin, an eerie sensation washed over me. It sent shudders traveling all through my body. Strength unlike anything I had ever known filled my being.

_Wha...?_

The rational part of me tried to make sense of what had just happened: I had just fallen thousands of feet in the air. I should've been dead. I should've been paralyzed, or in excruciating pain.

Instead, I felt nothing: no pain, no discomfort... nothing at all, like I had fallen a few feet from a tree, and not the heavens themselves. Underneath the sheets of water rushing down my bare chest, I felt more alive than I had ever been in my life. Not believing my senses, I flexed and twisted my arms and fingers.

Every part of my body felt strange. The way my skin moved as I twisted my arm, the way the sheets of water dripped off my body as I laid in the wreckage... it all felt _off_.

_This isn't right... what's wrong with me?_

"What's going on down there?!"

"Something fell out of that typhoon! Tore a hole right through the deck!"

My pulse quickened at the sound of their terrified voices. Instinctively, my fingers grasped the sides of the jagged metal holding me up. The metal snapped all around me. I let out a gasp. 

Warmth flowed down my cheeks, traveling across my skin alongside the stream of water. Euphoria gave way to fear and confusion. I choked, suffocating under the terrible power that threatened to consume me once more.

"What in the world?"

"By the Gods..."

"Captain! Come quick! There's someone down here!"

Alien sensations enveloped me like a surging tidal wave, drowning out the voices of the crew. I felt every drop of water around me. I felt the propellers of the boat tearing through the sea, as though a part of me. The sight of the ocean invaded my mind and overwhelmed my senses. I wanted to scream at the very sight of those waters, to bury the visions of that terrible, terrible place.

_No more... Please, no more..._

My mind's eye sank deeper and deeper into the darkness. I watched, against my will, as schools of fish and pods of dolphins swam through the water— _through me_. At the very bottom, far removed from the light of the surface, a most horrific sight greeted my eyes. 

Three pairs of glowing blue eyes snapped open from a bulbous form. Eight massive tentacles, like those of an octopus, slithered to life, grabbing and crunching boulders and broken ships alike. From its place in the darkness, it let out rumbling groan, which shook the very sea floor. Every limb, every movement that... _thing_ made, sent ripples down my skin, and chilled me to my very core.

_No... **No**!_

I screamed at the top of my lungs. My voice echoed in every direction. Even as my eyes snapped open, I _felt_ that thing down there, slithering through the darkness and rising to the surface.

At that moment, I found myself greeted by unfamiliar and uncomfortable sights. Pipes of brass snaked along the walls of the cargo room. I sensed the flow of water inside them, ushered onward by the pressure of boilers throughout the ship.

_Augh..._

Disturbed by these feelings, I forced my eyes shut and rested my head. Footsteps echoed throughout the hull. I heard the door to the cargo bay open. I felt the presence of two men looming over me.

"...So this is what came falling out of that vortex?"

"Aye, Cap'n."

Uncomfortable silence filled the air. Their eyes bore into me, fueling my growing anxiety. One of them approached me, his deep voice full of dread and bewilderment.

"What manner of being _is_ he?"

The way he spoke about me, the way he referred to me, like I was some inhuman abomination, crushed me like nothing else ever had. Knots formed in my throat. My body tensed with each footstep that filled my ears. Then, out of nowhere, I felt a hand along my chest.

"Ainsley, no! Don't touch him!"

My entire body tensed. His fingers traveled across the unnaturally smooth surface of my skin. I dared not make any sudden movements, even as the figure's hand explored my chest. Then his fingers made contact with a strange recess in my skin. The instant he did so, I cried out at the sensation, taken aback by the sheer sensitivity. 

The sound of my voice echoed all around us. Deep inside my body, that same terrible power that forced me up from the ocean depths rushed to the surface, drawn out by the figure's touch. Instinctively, my arms rushed up and gripped the stranger's own. The snapping of bones, followed by shrill screams of agony, filled the room. 

My eyes snapped open. I found myself staring up at a tall, stubbled man wearing a bandanna. He squeezed his eyes shut, howling in pain. My gaze shifted to the pair of silver hands crushing his own. Startled by my own strength, I pushed him away, only to watch as he flew across the room and collided with the wall beyond.

I held my right hand up to my face, staring at it like an entity separate from myself. Flawless, almost metallic looking skin covered every inch my hand. Every pore, every ridge, every wrinkle I ever possessed had vanished. Only the size and shape of my hand, from the length and width of my fingers, to the thickness of my fingernails, remained the same.

Trembling uncontrollably, I turned my hand over. That same smooth, immaculate surface greeted my eyes. Black grooves engraved the center of my palm, shaped like the head of a trident. They ran down my palm, my wrists, all the way up the inside of my arm... just like that brand...

_What is this? What the hell is this?!_

Horrified beyond measure, I looked up at the lone man standing in the room.

"By the Five... his eyes!"

I will never forget the looks of sheer terror they gave me—terror that mirrored my own. Through the torn opening above, the sky darkened. Cresting waves rocked the boat on all sides, sending everything tossing and turning. Intense wind, rain, and thunder rumbled all around us, while a maelstrom of emotions churned inside me.

Searing warmth traveled down my body. I bolted upright. Within my body, power coursed through me without restraint. I collapsed onto the floor. I cried out once more amid a flash of lightning.

"Help..."

I could barely get the word out of my mouth as another surge of power ravaged my insides. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to drive away the sensations. 

"Help... me..."

My cries echoed amid the backdrop of the raging storm. I opened my eyes and reached out to the men in front of me.

**"Please... help me!"**

Pressure built up inside my body. Helpless before the fury of this terrible power, I glanced down at my right palm. Blue energy traveled up the grooves—the very same light that ensnared me on that night. As the trident-shaped recess lit up with energy, that terrible visage of the monster beneath the water flashed in my mind. 

Terror gripped every part of my being. All around me, water mains and pipes burst all throughout the room, spraying the room with liquid. The remaining man bolted out of the room, screaming in terror. Steam boilers, unable to contain the pressure inside them any longer, exploded. Cries of panic from the sailors above and around me filled my ears.

Lost within the monster's unholy visage, I shrieked at the sight of it rushing toward the surface, toward the very ship I stood on. The monster, in turn, let out an inhuman shriek of its own as it sped toward the underside of the boat. I fell into a trance, aware of only the monster's tentacles rising above the water.

Suckers gripped man and machinery. The monster's six eyes, blazing with blue energy, bore into the ship and its crew. Rage fueled its every action. As water flooded the sinking ship, its thoughts invaded my own.

**Foolish mortals... you should have never come here...**

In that moment, I became a thousand arms lashing through the water. I became unrelenting, oceanic fury, crushing the lives of sailors daring to trespass sacred waters. Hurricane gales, punctuated by lightning, pelted the sea as the monster roared into the heavens. 

Tentacles wrapped around broken wood and metal. Screams of men echoed across the raging sea. I, too, screamed in the prison of the monster's fury. With every bone broken, with every new corpse that fell before me, my heart wrenched in horror.

_No more... Please... no more... if this is a nightmare, please let me wake up..._

Amid the overpowering rage, terror, confusion, and sorrow ebbed in the back of my mind. I had no idea what was going on, or how any of this was even happening. I could do nothing to stop the fury, nor the tragic loss of life around me. Like a force of nature, I watched through the monster's eyes as it tore apart metal decks like a paper bag. As moments went on, I cried out in horror.

Harpoons pierced the monster's tentacles. Those three pairs of glowing eyes turned toward another set of ships in the distance. Brave sailors, eager to drive off the abomination, opened fire with cannons and blasts of energy. An insidious rumbling, like a sly chuckle, escaped the monster's form.

**I am the eternal fury of the Abyss. You cannot destroy me.**

_No! Stop! Don't hurt them! Please, they're only trying to protect themselves!_

**Your trespass into these sacred waters will not go unpunished.**

_I don't want this! I don't want any of this! Please, I can't bear to watch this anymore!_

My pleas fell on deaf ears. As the monster turned his rage toward the rest of the fleet, I still stood in that room, motionless and entranced. Water flooded the room. My lips curled into a twisted smile.

Blue light flared all along my skin, forming the same brand as the one that appeared on my skin that fateful night. Strength rushed through me, fueling the unholy frenzy of the monster that consumed my every thought.

Even as the torrential wind and rain howled around me, I could hear the screams and pleas of the sailors fighting for their lives.

"It's the Kraken!"

"By Haidros..."

"It's coming this way!"

"Abandon ship! Flee for your lives!"

Expressions of terror filled their faces as tentacles slapped onto their ship. Before the might of this monstrosity, I too felt powerless. I cowered in the depths of my own mind. Every nightmare I ever had about the ocean, every ounce of dread I ever felt about being on a ship... all of that, and so much more, became realized that night. Metal and wood broke under the sheer might of the monster's unbridled anger. 

With one final snap, the monster snapped the ship in two, and drug the remnants down into the depths, with me along with it. The ship, along with the rest of its sister fleet, sank into the darkness. That terrible fury left me. I collapsed onto the ground, spent and exhausted from the harrowing experience. Water flooded every inch of the chamber. My body floated up from the floor of the sinking ship.

The monster's visage sank into the water. It slithered toward the dark depths below, its horrible fury sated... for now. Light from the surface above moved further and further away. I reached out toward the light, the grooves along my hand flickering with faint blue light.

All around me, the world shifted in and out of focus. As darkness enveloped my consciousness, the monster's voice spoke out into my mind:

**Master...**


	5. The Captain's Testimony

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter V - The Captain's Testimony

_Long before recorded history, Haidros created the seas and all the creatures that dwelt within. As mankind settled the Southern Isles, there were many who fished the waters, giving thanks to the Sea God for His generosity, and for their continued prosperity. There were others, however, who sought to plunder the Abyss. Their hearts filled with greed, they yearned for power and immortality at any cost._

_In His anger, Haidros drove them away from the Abyss, sank their ships, and condemned their souls to an eternity in the depths. Yet even still, those fools continued to trespass into the Abyss, lured by false promises of lost treasure beneath the waves. For their transgressions, the Sea God created the mighty Kraken, the vessel of the ocean's boundless fury. With eight tentacles like the lesser octopus, and a body larger than even the tallest mountains, the Kraken laid waste to all who trespassed into the Abyss on Haidros' behalf._

_Yet the Kraken possessed no will of its own. It was a living weapon, sustained only by the will of the Sea God and His Erenoi Descendants. For countless millennia, the Kraken watched over the Abyss, guarding those waters from intrusion of any kind for its divine master. When Haidros departed the world of Erenos, the Kraken itself came to rest at the bottom of the sea. There, mindless and inert, it slept... until His Erenoi Children appeared in the world._

_Like Their progenitor before Them, the wills of the Sons of Haidros gave life to the Kraken as a living weapon against mortals and Netherim alike. Countless demons of the void, sent to forever corrupt the Abyss and disrupt the power of Haidros, poured into the depths, only to be driven back by the Erenoi and the Kraken's fury. When the threat of the Netherim vanished, the Erenoi willed the Kraken to guard the Abyss once more._

_Like the ebb and flow of the tide, the Erenoi would rule the oceans, and then when the time came, return to the Divine Realm, Their place of origin. At the time of Their departure, the Kraken would return to the depths and resume its slumber. To the people of the Southern Isles, each of these eras became known by the Child of Haidros that governed the seas at that time. In the interim between eras, the Order of Haidros took it upon themselves to watch over the Abyss in the Sea God's name. With a mighty fleet of ships powered by steam and magic, they guarded the waters of the Abyss, driving away all manner of divers, scavengers, pirates, thieves, and treasure hunters who dared trespass into those sacred waters._

_As ages passed, the only remnants of the Kraken in mortal memory were legends told among fishermen and sailors: Legends of a mighty sea beast that struck fear into the hearts of all who lived in the Southern Seas. The last remaining record of the Kraken's existence lies hidden in the archives of the Temple of Haidros, in the hands of the order of hydromancers and song maidens that guarded the Southern Seas. Records state that the last sighting of the Kraken occurred during the seventh century of Cornelius Haidros' reign, near the greater island of Anval..._

\---

All throughout the Southern Seas, shrieks shrieks filled the heavens. The people turned their attention toward the violent storm swirling over the Abyss. Fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters watched my awakening with terror and awe. When that terrible monster broke the surface of the water and devoured the ships that dared trespass hallowed seas, parents shielded the eyes of their children from the destruction and bloodshed.

No one knew what had awakened that day—no one except the clergy of the Temple of Haidros. While the people trembled in horror at the octopoid monstrosity that appeared from those dark waters, whispers of a terrible beast of myth, long forgotten by men, filled the halls. As Lyssa followed her mother up the western tower of the temple, scrolls in hand, worried voices of visitors and parishioners filled her ears.

"What is going on...?"

"Haidros..."

"What have we done to anger the Sea God?"  
  
"Please, Lord Haidros... forgive us..."

"We beg of you... spare us! Spare us from your fury!"

For the briefest moment, Lyssa's thoughts turned toward the passage regarding the Kraken she discovered in the Tideborn Scrolls. The sight of blue light shooting out from the Abyss, followed by a column of water joining heaven and earth unnerved her enough, but the legendary beast's reappearance filled her with countless questions that demanded answers. Out of earshot from the frightened masses, Lyssa looked up at the Lennus.

"Mother..."

"Lyssa, now is not the time. We must hurry. Time is of the essence, my child..."

Lyssa frowned at Lennus' scolding. She hardly got the words out of her mouth before her mother silenced her. Unease filled her heart as the two of them made their way down a dark hallway, illuminated by the dim light of torches. There, at the end of the hallway, a thick wooden door stood between them and their destination.

Two guards stood on either side of the door, watching them with utmost scrutiny. Wielding staves fitted with cerulean gems, robes of ocean blue, lined with white, covered their forms, in start contrast to the white robes and veils Lennus and her daughter wore. Lennus turned toward the guards.

"Father Dunland has summoned us," She said.

The guards nodded. "The High Father has been expecting you, Song Mother. You and your apprentice may enter."

Lennus nodded. Lyssa looked away from the guards as they turned and opened the door for her. The two of them stepped into an austere chamber. An aged figure in blue, white, and gold robes, adorned with lined patterns, stood before them. The man turned around.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." Dunland offered a pair of chairs. "Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss."

Lennus and her daughter nodded their heads, and took a seat without another word. Behind the High Father, case after case of scrolls and records stood locked inside of wooden cabinets, with only a glass door revealing the contents within. Other scrolls littered the desk, accompanied by a crystal lamp, a red quill, and a well of black ink.

"I am certain you are well aware of the scavengers operating out of Zaetest."

"Of course," Lennus replied.

Lyssa returned a silent nod of her own.

"We have learned that those same scavengers trespassed into the Abyss. No doubt they came to plunder the depths in search of a quick coin. While their trespass and impiety toward our Lord is most upsetting, it is the least of our worries..." Dunland turned toward Lennus. "Song Mother... you felt it, did you not?"

Lennus closed her eyes. "Yes... I sensed the Essence of Haidros rising from the depths yesterday. There can be no mistaking it, Father Dunland..."

Lyssa glanced between the two of them. "But what about the Kraken? The people of Aquias are afraid... fishermen and sailors alike refuse to leave port out of fear that the Kraken will sink their vessels in rage. What can we do?"

Dunland held his chin in thought. "Hmmm... an excellent point, Apprentice Lyssa, but are you aware of the Kraken's nature?"

Lyssa nodded. "I have studied the Tideborn Scrolls for some time, High Father. I know of the Kraken and its creation."

"Then understand well the gravity of the situation: those scavengers disturbed the resting place of the Erenoi. Now the Kraken has been awakened once more, and it falls to us to calm the Sea God and beg for His forgiveness..."

Dunland stood up from his chair. He clasped his wrinkled hands behind him. Pacing around the room, he continued his story.

"The Kraken is eternal. The appearance of the beast heralds the coming of a Child of Haidros. I fear the devastation that will arise if we do not atone. Therefore, in the interest of protecting Vednas, we have no choice: We must find the Erenoi, and bring Him to the Temple of Haidros at all costs... before worse fortunes befall the Isles..."

Brief silence fell on the room. Dunland returned to his desk, and sat down. Lyssa felt his eyes bore into her with every passing moment. Although she sensed Lyssa's discomfort, Lennus did nothing in the presence of the High Father. Before he could open his mouth to speak, a loud knock sounded on the door.

"Enter."

At the High Father's word, the door to his office opened. Lyssa and Lennus spun around in their chairs, and faced the guard that entered the room. Dunland looked up at him with intense interest and scrutiny.

"Forgive my intrustion, High Father, but I bring important news!"

Dunland raised his eyebrow, and motioned for the guard to continue.

"The _HS Cornelius_ and her fleet have returned from their expedition to the Abyss. They have brought back with them survivors from the monster's rampage..."

"Hmm... very well. Thank you for informing me. Where are they now?"

"They have been taken to the temple infirmary. Several of the survivors are still shaken from their long journey here."

"Are any of them able to speak?"

"There are some who still have their wits and their health, yes."

Dunland closed his eyes.

"Take us to them."

"As you wish, High Father."

Dunland stepped out of his chair. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for Lennus and Lyssa to rise up, and follow. The three of them stepped out of Dunland's office, and into the dark hallway beyond. In the waning daylight, howling wind blew through the hallway. Lyssa shivered under her robes, perturbed by the unnatural cold gale passing through.

_This wind... I've never felt anything like it before... It chills me to the bone..._

The group of four walked in silence, guided only by torchlight. Hydromancers and song maidens passed by them, speaking in hushed tones. Beyond a high bridge, Lyssa glanced down at the town below. Men, women, and children passed in and out of the temple grounds. No longer did their laughter fill the dread that lingered in the air. Child and adult alike huddled together in fear of the Kraken festering in the waters beyond the island.

_Mother... I have so many questions, yet I do not wish to say anything in front of the High Father. Perhaps when this meeting is over, I might have a chance to say something to you then..._

Several minutes later, they found their way into the temple infirmary. Acolytes and healers, clad in red and white veils, passed them by. The sound of children wailing screeched in her ears, punctuated by the sobs of parents and family members. Emaciated forms huddled in the waning light, trembling. 

Before her eyes, Lyssa saw the full extent of the famine plaguing Vednas. Some of the people, to sick or too malnourished to move, peered into her eyes, pleading to her for release. When she felt the eyes of her mother on her, she tore herself away, at a loss. It took every ounce of willpower for her to ignore the sight of the acolytes removing the dead and dying from the infirmary.

At the end of the long hall, the guard stopped before a door. The door swung open, and the wrinkled face of an aged healer stepped through. With thick-rimmed glasses, he peered up at Dunland with confusion.

"Father Dunland, what brings you here at this hour?"

The guard stepped aside, while Dunland approached him.

"Is this where the survivors are recuperating?"

The healer nodded.

"If you were hoping to speak with them, sir, you'd be wasting you time... most of the sailors are too shaken to say anything coherent. Most of them just babble on incoherently about a sea monster and a silver-skinned being..."

Dunland closed his eyes.

The Erenoi... He must have made His way onto their ships. These fools have no idea what they encountered out there... and now we are all paying the price for their blasphemy...

"I will make this conversation brief, then. Now, stand aside, friend."

"As you wish, High Father..."

The healer stepped aside, and motioned for the group to enter the room. The guard stood outside the door. He looked at Dunland, who returned a curt nod of his own. As he guarded the doorway from unwanted visitors, the remaining trio entered the room in complete silence.

When Lyssa stepped inside, she found the broken shells of men laying on countless cots and gurneys. Some sat against the walls in silence, trembling and mouthing incoherent phrases. Others laid down with widened eyes, reliving their horrific encounter at sea.

"Run away... run away!"

"No... don't come any closer!"

"Haidros... Sea God's Child..."

Among the frightened wrecks, only one man peered back at them with any spark of sanity. Underneath a black tricorne hat, his lone blue eye bore into Lyssa's own, while the eye-patch on his right eye stood out in the dim crystal light. While Lyssa gazed back at him with concern, Dunland's face scrunched up in anger.

"Can you speak?" Dunland asked.

The lone man said nothing as the three of them approached. Sensing the hostility from the High Father, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"...Have you come here to condemn my crew and I?" The man snorted in disgust. "I thought the Order of Haidros was welcoming to strangers on their isle?"

"The Order of Haidros welcomes all who wish serve and honor our Lord, the Ruler of the Depths... but you, however... you and your crew have committed a grave sin against the Sea God, a sin all of us will pay for if you don't answer my questions..." Dunland's eye twitched. "Who are you, and why did you venture into the Abyss?"

The man spat on the ground. He furrowed his brow in frustration, while toying with the bandages on his wrists. As his eye bore into Lyssa's, she let out a quiet gasp. Lennus held her arm in front of her, restraining her daughter during the interrogation.

"I am Dainoth, former captain of the _SS Folstan_... as for why we were there, well... divine relics fetch a fortune on the market. However, we wouldn't just settle on dredging up any old trinket from the bottom of those black waters. No, we wanted the greatest treasure of all: the Abyssal Trident."

Lyssa glanced up at her mother. Lennus, in turn, narrowed her eyes at the captain. Dunland retorted.

"Your audacity knows no bounds, fool... if that was what you came for, you were wasting your time. Even if you were to find it and somehow wrestle it from the bottom of the ocean, the Abyssal Trident cannot be wielded by the hands of mortals."

Dainoth laughed and continued on.

"Aye, I know this. We did not desire the Trident for it's power, sir—it was all about the money. Had we managed to obtain it, we would've been set for life! No longer would we have had to settle for scraps like the rest of the rats living on the isles! No, sir, we wanted to make a name for ourselves, to become the greatest treasure hunters known on the Southern Seas!

"We scoured the Abyss, searching for any trace of the Trident. At first, our divers found only broken crates from vessels long claimed by the waves... but then, my men sensed something down there. We might not have been trained in hydromancy like you lot have, but those of us who possess the talent... those of us who possess even an inkling of magic could sense an overwhelming power blossoming beneath the waves. We thought to ourselves, 'This is it! It's the Trident! It has to be the Trident of the Sea God!'

"But we ran into a problem, you see... even with our gear, the diving suits on the _Folstan_ could not reach the bottom, not without risking the crew member inside. We may be a greedy bunch, sir, but we are not stupid—not even I wanted to jeopardize the crew. Instead, we sent a clockwork drone to the bottom." 

Dainoth looked up at Dunland, and incredulous stare on his face. "Cost us a small fortune to get one of those, let alone the handful that we had. It took a bit of doing to set up, but the crew and I managed to get one of those things to venture toward the bottom. I had the most gifted of my crew control the drone as it made its way down... then, on the control sphere, we watched with bated breaths as the image of a crystalline temple came into view..."

Lyssa and Lennus both let out a gasp of surprise.

"Haidrosheim..."

Dainoth nodded.

"'Twas breathtaking to look at, yes... when we found the place, some of us felt like we had just found the greatest treasure of all, but some of us had our misgivings... just because we do not pledge ourselves to the Sea God doesn't mean we don't believe He exists. Still, we didn't want to leave empty handed, so we pushed on and sent the drone further into the temple. Then... the drone came upon an empty throne, along with a trident implanted in a stone slab.

"'This was it', we thought, 'The Abyssal Trident itself... all ours for the taking, if only the drone were capable of doing anything else but observing...' But then, some flickers of blue light shot out from behind the throne. In that moment, we forgot all about the Trident, and instead ordered the drone to investigate...

"That was when we first laid eyes on it. It looked like a giant cocoon or chrysalis of some kind. It pulsed with that same blue light. Those of us who could sense magic felt nothing like it before in our lives. We realized then what we had been tracking was _not_ the Abyssal Trident, but whatever that _thing_ was. We had no idea what we found... and believe me, sir, after all that's happened, I wish we never had..."

Dunland's eyes widened.

_The Womb of Haidros... the Erenoi!_

"We watched through the control sphere as the spikes of energy grew more and more intense. Blue light flickered inside the chrysalis, revealing a human shape trapped inside. Two blue orbs of light gleamed from the creature's face, like a pair of eyes in the dark. At that point, I ordered my crew to abort, and to release control of the drone, but it was too late. The creature thrashed inside. Waves of energy shot up all around that thing, and then we lost the signal."

Dainoth closed his eye.

"A terrible storm began swirling over the Abyss, unlike anything we had ever endured before. It was like the very seas themselves roiled in anger. The swells... the swells were huge, and it nearly sent the _Folstan_ to an early grave. At the very center of the Abyss, a raging maelstrom pulled us inward. 

"From out of the maelstrom, a column of water shot up into the heavens, and joined with the typhoon above. There was thunder and lightning everywhere... within the column, I spotted that same blue light. Within the madness, sir, I could hear that creature screaming from inside the vortex of water. It sounded... like a young man, crying out in sheer terror... 

"The _Folstan_ managed to avoid being sucked into it, but the rest of our fleet was not so lucky. Just as suddenly as it all began, the vortex collapsed into the sea. Wreckage flew everywhere, sir. My crew did everything they could to keep her afloat... as we swerved to avoid colliding with debris falling from the sky, we witnessed a silver-skinned being fall from the heavens... it landed on our sister ship, the _Rovas_..."

Dainoth wiped the tear that threatened to fall down his eye. Lyssa and Lennus listened on, awe struck by the man's story. Dunland, however, gazed back at him with disgust.

"I know not what the _Rovas_ and her crew did to that creature, but just as the madness began to die down, we heard an inhuman shriek escape from the ship. Then... we saw it rise up from the water, with our own eyes...

"It stared down at us with six eyes, glowing with that same blue light that shot up from the sea. The fleet threw everything the had at that creature, from harpoons to cannons to muskets... nothing fazed that monster. It lashed out at everything around it, splitting entire ships apart like tin cans... all the while, I could hear that being screaming...

"Then the monster went after the _Folstan_. In the span of one night, we had lost everything: the ship, our drones, naval charts... all our cargo... it's all sitting at the bottom of the Abyss now. The Kraken has reduced my crew to sobbing, gibbering wrecks. Yet here I am, with you, being condemned for trespassing those waters..."

Anger filled Dainoth's voice as he continued.

"Take a good look at yourselves! There is no food to be found on the isles! The fish are gone. The land yields no crops for us. What are we to do, sir? What are we to do, in order to feed ourselves? You speak of blasphemy against Haidros when you should be doing something about the famine! I know damn well that we've done a terrible thing, entering those waters... but had the so-called 'Master of the Waves' not abandoned us so, _none of this would have happened!_ "

Dunland pounded his fist against a nearby pillar in anger. Lennus, sensing the High Father's growing rage, held out her hands. A soft series of notes escaped her lips. Dunland and Dainoth, lulled by her song, felt their anger toward one another melt away. Even the maddened survivors around them calmed down, and fell into slumber. As her song concluded, Lennus looked back at the two men.

"Arguing about this will not change what happened. It will not bring back the _Folstan_ or her crew, nor will it help to point fingers." Lennus looked down at Dainoth. "Thank you for telling us this, Captain Dainoth. I will see to it that what remains of the _Folstan_ 's crew are well taken care of."

Dunland smiled at Lennus, who gazed back with a commanding stare.

"High Father, Apprentice... come with me. There is much to be done..."

The group left the chamber. They walked down the stone bridges back to the temple sanctum. As they did so, Lennus turned to her daughter.

"Lyssa, tomorrow morning, I want you to go to the Oracle of Talis. She must know where the Erenoi is."

"Mother?"

Dunland nodded.

"The Song Mother is correct. The Oracle has watched over Southern Seas for millennia. She was there when the previous Erenoi, Cornelius Haidros, rose from the Abyss aeons ago. We must find the Erenoi at all costs..."


	6. Aidan, Brave New World

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter VI - Aidan, Brave New World

Clicks and squeaks echoed around me as I came to. My eyes fluttered open. Pieces of debris floated around me, while a pod of dolphins swam through the wreckage of the ship. Bloated corpses of men drifted through the water, their faces eternally frozen in horror and agony.

My heart pounded in my chest. I bolted upright, trembling uncontrollably. I didn't know where I was, or how I had gotten here. As my mind raced, memories flooded my thoughts.

I remembered that towering monster in the water, eyes gleaming with the same blue light that seized me on my family's yacht. I remembered the wind, the rain, and the explosions across the boat. Most of all, I remembered that terrible power, and the overpowering rage that consumed me on that boat. The monster's shrieks echoed in my mind as its tentacles seized and snapped the ship in two before dragging the broken remains into the ocean depths...

_No..._

The weight of my horror, coupled with crushing guilt, hit me like a sack of bricks. My terrified screams echoed through the water, distant and ethereal. I bolted toward the ceiling of the wreckage. With strength far beyond what I remembered having, I tore through the broken hull like a tin can. Thick metal scraped the sea floor, and plumes of debris rose up in the water all around me.

_No! This can't be happening!_

My hands rushed toward my throat. Just like within the walls of that fleshy chrysalis, I thought I was drowning. I thought I was going to die, trapped at the bottom of the ocean, suffocating beneath the water. Panic consumed me as I began to hyperventilate. 

Instead of burning pain inside my chest, I felt nothing. Precious air filled my lungs where none should have. Bubbles escaped my lips with every exhale, floating upwards towards the distant pinprick of light above. My heart throbbed in terror. 

For several harrowing minutes, I struggled in those dark waters. As those minutes came and went, I began to realize the impossible truth. After drawing in several breaths of air from the water, I reeled in confusion.

I wasn't drowning. I had no gills. I had no way of getting oxygen from the water. Somehow... I was breathing— _breathing underwater_. 

_Wha...?_

Slowly, I lowered my hands away from my throat. Warmth spread across my sides. I opened my eyes and glanced down at my naked form. Three pairs of parallel grooves flickered with a blue light along my ribs, glowing in the dark depths. Like a set of otherworldly gills, the light faded in and out of the grooves, drawing water toward them.

_What **is** this?!_

That overwhelming power flowed inside me, sustaining my life and filling me with strength unfathomable. Alien sensations assaulted my mind. I felt every inch of water around me. I lurched backwards, my mind adrift in the boundless sea.

Schools of fish swam through the ocean. I felt their every flick of their fins through the water. I felt the strands of kelp swaying through the currents. I heard pods of dolphins click and chirp to one another, calling out to their families and loved ones. Pockets of life ebbed out of the rocky sea bottom.

In the depths of these waters, some twisted part of me felt overjoyed to be down here. I had become one with the ocean, and all that lived within it. My awareness reached across every part of this place, an extension of my will. That part of me felt whole and complete, having returned to this sacred place...

_No! That isn't me! What's wrong with me?!_

My heart raced more quickly than ever. The very sensations filled me with anxiety. I found myself helpless before them. Lost within that boundless power, I wanted to scream. I wanted to drown out those horrible feelings, to tear myself away from those _inhuman_ thoughts. Far beyond the skeletons of broken ships, I felt that... _thing_.

The monster from my memory sat motionless, embedded into the sea floor. Tentacles wrapped around its sleeping form. At first glance, it looked like jagged, rocky underwater mountains surrounding this place... but I _knew_. Despite its inertness, I _knew_ it was anything but. I could _feel_ its presence in the water, as though it were a part of me.

**Master...**

That deep, booming voice called out to me in my thoughts. Shivers ran down my spine. Before that abomination, I was little more than an ant. It towered over me, over the countless wrecks that littered the sea floor. One of its six eyes flickered open briefly, revealing the same light that slowly flickered from the grooves on my ribs.

**I serve...**

"No..."

When I heard its voice echoing in my mind again, I lost my composure completely. My strangled gasps echoed through the water. I couldn't stop trembling, nor could I take my eyes off it. I shook my head at that creature, terrified beyond measure. As it closed its eye once more, I let out a blood curdling scream.

I had to get out of here. I had to find my way back to the surface. I had to get as far away from here—from that _abomination_ —as possible.

Spurred on by my own terror, that searing warmth washed all over me. Just as that power forced me out of that chrysalis, it catapulted me far beyond the dark abyss. My hands reached up toward the distant light, the light of my freedom. As that precious beacon grew larger, so too did my hope of escaping this nightmare. 

My head burst through the surface of the water. I took in gulps of salty sea air. Swells kicked up around me. I floundered in the water, struggling to keep myself from being pulled back under the waves by the ocean currents. I snapped my head around in every direction, desperate to find land.

_No... please no... I don't want to die! I don't want to be trapped here any longer! Please... please God, don't trap me here! Don't let me die... I'm begging you!_

Power stirred within me once more. All around me, I sensed the flow of the ocean currents. It moved through underwater trenches and canyons, extending out in every direction. Through the flow of water, I became aware of a chain of islands. 

These islands surrounded the deepest point of the ocean—the very place I had just emerged from. One of these islands was nearby, just a short ways away. I turned slightly to my right, and sped through the water.

I don't remember how long I swam. I cared not if I had gone mad, or if I should trust this new instinct. All I could think about was fleeing the ocean. I never wanted to come back there, or to see that horrible, horrible place again. The fear of drowning, of being trapped in the ocean with no escape, consumed all reason.

A distant land mass popped up along the horizon. I pushed myself and swam faster. The mass grew larger, until a tropical island came into view. My heart soared at the very sight of those palm leaves billowing in the wind.

Ocean waves crested along a sandy shore. When my feet touched the wet sand, I poured my feelings outward, crying out into the billowing sea winds. I stood on my feet and waded through the water. As waves crashed against me, I darted toward the shore.

I thought it was over then. I thought I had escaped the ocean's grasp. Oh, how very wrong I was.

As soon as my feet stepped onto the beach face, my body jerked backwards. Searing warmth flared across my entire body. A powerful force yanked at my wrists, ankles, and neck, like an invisible tether. My eyes widened in shock and horror.

_Wha...?! What's going on? Why can't I move?!_

Frantic, I glanced at my arms. All across smooth, chrome-like flesh, blue light lit up from the black grooves carved into my body. I clenched my fists, struggling against the might of the force inside me. I fell onto my hands and knees as waves crested over my body. 

Once more, I felt utterly powerless. I couldn't move a muscle. No matter how hard I tried, my arms and legs refused to move. I let out an inhuman shriek, unable to contain my terror any longer. 

_Augh..._

Power raged inside my body. It didn't want to leave the ocean. It wanted to return to the depths, to be one with the water. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to drown out the sensations assaulting my mind.

**Master...**

Deep within my soul, the ocean called to me. It whispered to me in hushed tones, beckoning me back to the water. That same twisted part of me that felt overjoyed to be lost in that dark abyss compelled me to return. The part that was still me—still _human_ —refused to give into this desire.

**Come back...**

_No! Get out! Get out of my head!_

I fought against that overwhelming urge, that binding force... to no avail. My strength began to fade. I could no longer stand up on my hands and knees, or even concentrate. The world spun around me in vertigo. I fell into the sand. The sight of the ocean brought flashes of painful memory to the surface: Of playing in the water, of being pulled under by the currents, of being trapped with no way out...

_Please..._

Desperate to get away from the shore, I twisted my body around and crawled along the ground. I grasped at the sand, dragging myself with what little strength I had left. It wasn't long before I exhausted even that. With one last horrified cry, I reached my right hand toward the green grass beyond the beach. 

_Help me..._

My arm fell limp onto the sand. The light flaring up from the grooves receded into my flesh. I fell onto my side and closed my eyes. As I laid there, a prisoner in my own body, my mind reeled in confusion. 

_Why? Why is this happening?_

For what seemed like hours, my body rested motionless in the sand. Although I could not move, I could still hear the gulls crying into the wind, taste the salt from the sea air, and feel the grains of sand against my skin. The lapping of the tide sickened me to my very core. All the while, I silently begged for this hell to end...

_What did I do? What did I do, God, to deserve **any** of this...? Please... no more! I'm begging you, God! Make it stop... Please, make it stop..._

Just as that power responded to my desperation for land, so too did it my desire to free myself from paralysis. More alien sensations bombarded my consciousness. High up in the heavens, I sensed the movement of clouds. Pressure built up in the air around me.

_This feeling... what is this? I don't understand..._

Thunder rumbled through the skies. Shudders traveled down my spine at that terrifying sound. I felt the rain clouds heading straight toward the island— _straight toward me_. The fleeting warmth of the afternoon sun gave way to the biting cold of a thunderstorm.

Droplets of rain fell down from above. It dripped onto my body, and passed through the recesses all over my skin. The instant that cool moisture passed over them, my eyes snapped open. Strength flooded my body. Freed from that crushing paralysis, I pushed myself off the sand and staggered to my feet.

Standing there, fully exposed and blanketed by thick sheets of torrential rainfall, I felt so strong... so _powerful_. I held my palms up in the air, relishing the wonderful energy flowing down the grooves on my skin. Blue light flared up from them, and my rapture intensified. I became lost in the euphoria these intoxicating sensations brought. 

I staggered across the beach, a twisted smile on my face. Moans of ecstasy escaped my lips, brought on by the alien power rushing through me. In the back of my mind, that small part of me that resisted the ocean's summons reeled in confusion.

_No! Stop! What are you doing?!_

As the realization hit me, I shook my head and snapped out of my trance. Although power still flooded my being, I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to suppress the bliss the rainfall brought. Heat intensified all over my body. I looked around the island, frantic to get out of the rain and find shelter.

_I have to get out of here! I think I'm losing my mind!_

My entire body quaked as I stumbled in the rain. I wrapped my arms around my torso, avoiding the grooved patterns on my shoulders. It took much of my focus to drown out the intense sensations caused by the rainfall. 

_What's... happening... to me?_

Off into the distance, further up the shore, I spotted the entrance to a cave. With nowhere else to go, I made my way toward it. I stepped inside, and looked around. A small round hole lined the very roof. Sheets of water poured down from above, cascading into a large pool of water in the center. Drawn to the water, I stepped into the pool and sat under the waterfall.

The pool itself wasn't very deep, thankfully—deep enough for me to submerge myself in if I wanted to, but not much more. I rested my head against the outer edges of the pool, letting the water travel down my face. The cold of the water didn't bother me at all. Even here, sitting in this shallow pool, a part of me felt invigorated by its presence. 

I sat in the fetal position with my eyes closed, lost in my own turmoil. I held my hands against my temples. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't relax or get comfortable at all. So much had happened that day. I never had a chance to decompress, to digest or process any of this at all. At the same time, I dreaded opening my eyes and seeing just exactly how much I had been changed...

Eventually, I pulled my hands and arms away from my face. I forced myself to look down at my hands. Blue light glowed from the trident-shaped recesses on both palms. Just like on that ship, that smooth, flawless chrome-like skin haunted me. I recognized the shape, the size... even the length of my fingers all too well. Although my hands still had the same fleshy areas as before, no creases appeared where they should have. I moved my fingers around, watching my skin bend and fold where a crease should have been.

My arms couldn't stop shaking. I followed the glowing blue recess down my forearm, until it twisted past the inside of my elbow and moved near my biceps. Gone was the skinny frame of my memory; instead, a broader, more muscular arm greeted my eyes. I blinked, startled by the change.

_This is... strange..._

I looked down on each of my shoulders—both broader that I remembered—and noticed the spiral shell pattern of a nautilus etched into silver, porcelain skin. More grooves branched toward my inner arm and chest, glimmering with blue energy. Confused, I stood onto my feet, and stared down at my chest and abdominal muscles.

_Wha...?_

At that moment, I didn't know what to feel. I didn't remember ever having a build like this, much less something this well-defined. Even as my fingers followed the grooves down my pecs, through my nipples, and along my abs, my thoughts whirled in a tornado of anger, confusion, terror, and sadness. 

I remembered the face of that captain, and how he looked at me like I was an inhuman abomination. His words came rushing back to my conscious memory, biting and raw.

_"By the Five... his eyes!"_

My stomach churned. Knots formed in my throat. Despite the overwhelming strength flowing through me, I trembled in the water, afraid of what I was about to see. I looked into a nearby pool of water, and gasped at my reflection.

Every inch of my body trembled in the water. I held up a shaking, silver hand. The shape of my nose, my lips, my cheekbones... even the thickness of my eyebrows remained unchanged. Like the rest of my body, that same chrome-like skin covered my face where human flesh once did. 

The same grooves that lined my chest and abdomen ran down my face, cheeks, and up my forehead, passing through my eyes and eyebrows. That same blue light that flared from the grooves all over my body burned bright in my eyes. In place of the brown hair I once had, white hair covered my scalp in that same, center parted hairstyle I always had. My eyebrows had also turned white. 

When I touched the grooves along my face, I cried out in disgust and horror.

_What is this? What the hell is this?! What did that light **do** to me?!_

The storm above intensified, pelting the small island with gale force winds and torrential downpour. I had never felt so afraid, so angry and violated before in my life. I didn't know what I was, or if I was even still human at all. I screamed into the heavens, and sank back into the pool, distraught by the revelation of my new form.

At that point, I curled into the fetal position. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know where I was, or even how any of this happened to me. Just when I thought my very horrible day was drawing to a close... it happened.

_Haidros... Lord Haidros..._

The voices sent chills up my spine. I shot up straight, unprepared for countless voices that flooded my awareness.

_We beseech you, Child of the Depths... hear our prayer..._

"No... no!"

_Our world is dying..._

_We have no food for our children..._

_There is no fish to eat, no crops to grow..._

_The Netherim are coming._

_We pray to you, Lord Haidros..._

_Lend us your aid!_

_Please, Lord Haidros... please bring my father back home!_

_My wife... she is sick and dying... please, save her!_

I grimaced and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out the flood of voices invading my mind. Men, women, and children alike called out, invading my thoughts. I grasped my head with my hands.

"What is this? What's happening to me?!"

_Save us... Lord... Haidros..._

I collapsed into the water, my mental energy exhausted. Just as suddenly as they came, they faded into the coming night. Underwater, I could do little else but gasp for oxygen through the grooves along my ribs. As I drifted off, one burning question haunted me:

_...I... I don't understand. I'm Aidan... not "Haidros"... Just what the hell's going on?_


	7. Aidan, Fog of Anxiety

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter VII - Aidan, Fog of Anxiety

_My eyes snapped open. Instead of the thunderous downpour and the small cavern I had taken shelter in, I found myself face-down on cold, marble flooring. Startled, I pushed myself away and onto my feet._

Where am I? What is this place?!

_Dread welled inside me. I did not recognize this place at all, nor did I know how I got there. Ethereal white light permeated every inch of the chamber. Like ghostly apparitions, portions of the walls and ceilings shifted between solid stone and pure light. My gaze darted around the pentangular room, where I found four other people laying face-down on the ground, unconscious, naked... and human._

What the?

_Two men and two women each rested underneath a vaulted arch on either side of me. Spiral columns lined the chambers that housed us. Situated on every arch, silver statues leered down from above. Grooves traveled down their faces, through their eyes, and down their cheeks. Shudders traveled through me at the very sight of those blank eyes staring into me, into my soul..._

_I looked down at my own body. Instead of smooth, chrome-like flesh, human skin greeted my eyes. Somehow, I too had returned to my natural state, as if that blue light had never twisted me into that... being. I didn't know what to make of this sudden reversion, or what was going on at all._

_Before I could get any further lost in my own thoughts, a woman's groans echoed all throughout the chamber. I looked slightly toward my right, at the blonde-haired woman on the ground. Her delicate hands twitched with life. The moment she began pushing herself off the ground, I gasped, my sense of modesty kicking into overdrive._

_My face grew warm with embarrassment. I averted my gaze, and awkwardly draped my arms over my groin. Before long, I heard the woman gasp, and I felt her eyes on me. I turned my head back toward her, and our eyes met. In that moment, something clicked inside my mind. Like some subconscious memory, a name entered my thoughts: **her name**._

_"...Alicia?"_

_I didn't know who this girl was. I didn't know where she had come from, or why any of us were here. Somehow... I knew her name. I knew her name without asking it of her._

_Something inside Alicia clicked as well. I could see it in her eyes. She shook her head, unsure of what was going on._

_"A... Aidan?"_

_Alicia's eyes bore into me, pleading for answers I did not have. I nodded my head at her all the same. All around us, the others awakened. Their names entered my mind, just as Alicia's did._

Jonas... Morgan... Jezebel... _  
_

_I knew each of their names, but nothing of who they were. All of us shivered in the frigid air, huddling out of embarrassment and because of the cold. No sheets of cloth hung in the chamber, not even a flag or banner that we could use to cover ourselves. I could only imagine what was going through their minds then._

_Deep inside my heart, I feared for myself and for these people._

_Each of them peered back at Alicia and I, desperate for answers neither of us had. As they hunched over to hide their exposed bodies, Alicia glanced back at me. She did little to hide her anxiety and fear. I wanted to comfort her, to soothe her... but none of us were in any position to do so. All of us were afraid._

_Everything about this place felt off, as if somewhere between realms. Energy drifted throughout the marble, shifting constantly between states. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something had drawn us to this place..._

_...And we were not alone._

_A frightened gasp escaped Alicia's lips without warning. She scrambled to her feet. Her eyes widened in horror, as if sensing something from beyond._

_Before any of us could speak, I sensed that terrible power awakening inside my body. I collapsed onto the ground, and squeezed my eyes shut, unable to think or breathe. Every inch of my skin felt like it was on fire. I heard the others fall to the ground as well, screaming and crying out in agony. Power blossomed within them, entwining with their being... as it did within my own._

_I opened my eyes, and watched as that brand formed all over my body, glowing with blue light. Above the vaulted arch, I watched as the statuesque face's eyes respond with blue light of its own. Horrified by what was happening, my gaze shifted toward Alicia and the others._

_Streaks of burning white light traveled down Alicia's entire body, forming a different brand. The same held true for the other three; only the color and pattern differed. Chaotic patterns zigzagged across Jezebel's body, glowing with a crimson light against her bronze-colored skin. Patterns akin to tree bark covered Jonas' aged, wrinkled body, shimmering with an emerald light. Circular patterns marred Morgan's skin, burning yellow and gold._

_Glowing with blue energy, my body rose up into the air. I struggled against that force. Unable to break free, I watched as the others followed suit. Without warning, my body was thrown against the wall. My arms and legs were splayed across the smooth stone surface. I couldn't move or do anything._

_That familiar droning hum filled the air. Unimaginable power surged across the wall behind me. I looked across the way toward Alicia and the others. Patterns formed on the walls behind them, while the faces in the arches above us intensified their light. Sobs escaped Alicia's lips. Through the rings of white light, skeletal hands burst through the walls and embraced her body._

_**"Alicia!"** I shouted._

_Roots and tree branches burst forth from the wall behind Jonas. They wrapped around his aged body, pinning him to the wall and draping him in foliage._

_Muscular, feminine arms, wreathed in fire, burst forth all around Jezebel. Writhing against the wall, as helpless as myself and the others, I watched as they wrapped around her body, wreathing her in flames. She screamed at the top of her lungs, her bronze skin becoming lost in burning crimson light._

_Chains and gears wrapped around Morgan's body. Through the loud drone of surging energy, I could hear the sound of clockwork all around him. Streams of sand and crystal danced around his body, moving with the flow of golden light._

_In my mind, I saw that terrible monster, lurking in the depths of the ocean. It raced through the black waters toward me. Through the walls, that monster's silvery tentacles burst forth. They wrapped around by body, slimy and writhing. I screamed at the top of my lungs, struggling to break the hold this power had over me. As suckers clamped over my mouth, I stared on with wide, horrified eyes while darkness blanketed me..._

\---

My shrieks echoed throughout the cavern. I bolted upright, my heart throbbing in my chest. Every part of my body trembled. Searing warmth spread across the grooves carved into my skin, bathing the cavern in blue light. I drew in deep gulps of air, and buried my head into my arms.

The images of that nightmare lingered in my thoughts. Alicia's terrified screams haunted my mind. Her green eyes, glimmering white with otherworldly power, bore into me, pleading for me to save her. Against the power that had infested my own being, I was helpless to do anything. I shook my head, trying to push the horrifying scene out of my memory.

After several minutes, I began to calm down and relax somewhat. My breathing slowed, and the light receded into my skin once more. I opened my eyes, and found myself greeted with thick fog in the darkness. The fog blanketed the entire cavern, floating just above the shallow pool I rested in.

_Huh?_

I blinked, confused by the strange change in the weather. I had never known fog to form in caves like this, and certainly not in the manner I witnessed. As I tried to make sense of how this phenomena could even occur, I sensed that power stir inside me.

Within moments, I saw into the fog. I stared into the tiny droplets of water that danced in the air. Just like the ocean itself, I felt the fog blanket much of the island beyond, as though it were an extension of my being. Through the fog, I witness the rising tide. 

Immediately, my pulse quickened. My terror grew at the sight of the tidewater spilling out from the ocean, swallowing the shoreline and edging closer and closer to the land beyond. I wanted to drown out the sight of those horrible waters... but I couldn't. Just as the pull of gravity moved the tide, it drew me out of my hiding place and out onto the open shore.

Water lapped against the sand. I wanted to vomit at the sight of those waves consuming the beach. That power enraptured my being, sending me into a trance. I couldn't break away, the pull of the moon on the water—on my very soul—too strong. 

My gaze shifted toward the crashing waves. An intoxicated smile forced its way onto my face. Blue light pulsed from the markings on my body, becoming more and more intense as the tide rose. Amid the flow of energy, that same part of me cried out:

_**Make it stop!** _

I snapped back to my senses, shaking my head as I did so. Feeling the tidewater against my feet, my gaze shifted around frantically. With nothing to hold me back, I sprinted away from the shore and further into the fog-covered forest beyond. I didn't care what direction I headed in; anything to get me away from the ocean.

I don't know how long I ran. It must have been several minutes at least. As the ocean vanished in the fog and palm trees, I stopped for a moment. Although my heart raced from the panic and terror I felt being by the shore, I didn't feel winded or exhausted at all. Not a single drop of sweat flowed through my skin, like I hadn't bolted for dear life.

_What is this? What the hell is going on? Why... why am I like this...?_

All over my body, the recesses continued to slowly pulse with energy. Through thick palm leaves, moonlight streamed into the forest. I looked up at the moon. Dread filled my heart.

_No... this isn't right... why is the moon so huge?_

I stepped out into an open field. When my eyes glanced up toward the moon, I let out a frightened gasp. Floating in the heavens above, not one moon rose above the island, but three. They hovered in the sky, standing out among a cascade of starlight. Two of the moons floated on either side of the larger moon. My gaze focused on the largest moon, the source of the rising tide.

_No..._

The very sight of those moons made my blood run cold. I looked up into the stars, hoping—praying—that I could find something I could recognize. Everything was gone. Every constellation I ever knew, every pattern in the sky I ever traced... vanished, like it never existed. I couldn't believe my eyes at all.

"No..." I uttered, "It can't be..."

My voice echoed into the night. The shock of this revelation sent me crashing onto my hands and knees. Wind began to kick up all over the island. A storm brewed in the distance, mirroring the maelstrom of turmoil I found myself in. I sat up, staring at the silver skin that covered my right hand. Blue light glowed from the trident-shaped recess in my palm.

At that moment, I knew. This was not my home at all. This was not Earth. Where 'here' was, I didn't know.

Several questions filled my mind: where had that light taken me? What was this place? How did I even get here, and how am I going to get home?

\---

For what seemed like hours, I slowly walked through the fog. Droplets of rain trickled down from above. The cool moisture of the fog and the rain traveling down my skin felt wonderful to me. I pushed the sensations into the back of my mind, and focused on finding something or someone that could give me answers...

At the edge of the forest, along the island's northern beach-front, I sensed a presence. Through the fog, I saw a small hut, tucked away into the cliff side and suspended on stilt-like planks. Large palm leaves covered a thatched roof. Thick ropes held round, lacquered sticks together. Inside the hut, hanging from small hammocks, a young woman and an older man slept in peace.

_Whey...? What is this?_

I froze in my tracks. I didn't know how I was doing this. Power flowed inside me, resonating, responding to my thoughts. I felt every drop of rain as it touched the ground, every wisp of fog as it blanketed the island. As the image of the woman stirred awake, I cried out, pulling myself out of that vision altogether.

Pressing my hand against my temple, I tried to focus, to push that terrible force out of my consciousness. Amid the ambivalent emotions that ran through me, a wave of relief washed over me. 

There was somebody here. Maybe now, I could finally get my bearings. Maybe now, I might be able to get a grasp on what's going on, and what has happened to me. That... was what I hoped at the time, anyway.

Sadly, it was not to be. Just as I wandered in search for answers, the monsters I would come to know as the Netherim prowled the shore, looking to corrupt, looking to lay waste. Drawn ever onward by the divine blood that now flowed within me, I would soon have my first encounter with those monsters... and that mortal father and daughter would be caught in crossfire.


	8. Aidan, Divine Mantle

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter VIII - Aidan, Divine Mantle

When I first laid eyes on that hut in person, out there in the fog, I felt like my prayers had finally been answered. 

It appeared just as I envisioned it many hours ago, tucked away at the foot of the cliffs overlooking the beach. Thick planks lifted it far above the encroaching sea. Despite all the fear I felt at being near the ocean, and every other strange thing that had happened to me at this point, I let in a deep sigh of relief.

The morning sun had long risen above the alien skies I found myself under. Tidewaters lapped against the shore. Deep within my soul, some part of me wanted to return to the ocean once more, to join with the water and become as one with it. I clenched my forehead, fighting against the urge and driven away solely by my own lingering terror of the sea. As trees, twigs, branches, and leaves crunched under my bare feet, I broke out into a run, eager to talk to whoever lived here—to get the answers I so desperately wanted at last, and to escape the very waters that called out to my soul. 

I rushed toward the hut, eager to meet the people inside. Before I could get very far, I froze in my tracks. Fear amid a shred of reason washed over me. I remembered how that captain and his first mate gazed at me—at the inhuman form I possessed. Just as it had in that cave I had taken shelter in, his words rang in my memory, slicing away at budding hope of seeing another person since waking up at the bottom of the ocean:

_"...So this is what came falling out of that vortex?"_

_"Aye, Cap'n."_

_"What manner of being is he?"_

_"Ainsley, no! Don't touch him!"_

I held my right hand up to my face, staring at the flawless silver skin and the black brand carved into it. So many questions ran through my mind then: what would these people think of me? Would they believe I was a monster, or some other threat? I had no explanation for my appearance, nor could I even begin to piece even an adequate one together. 

Wooden doors creaked open. My eyes darted around in sheer panic. I didn't want anyone to see me as I was, nor did I wish to cause a scene. Not willing to startle or frighten the people living here, I darted behind a group of rocks and hid myself. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt a presence leave the hut.

Footsteps echoed against hollow planks. Knots formed in my throat as that presence stepped out onto the beach. Through the fog, I saw the face of a lone woman standing before the shore, the very person of my vision hours ago.

"Hello...?" She called out.

I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. A part of my mind screamed at me to leave my hiding place and find her, while another dared not leave the safety of these rocks. I had never felt so torn before in my life.

"That's strange... I could've sworn I sensed something out here..."

Her red locks flailed in the wind. The woman closed her eyes in concentration. 

"This power... I've never felt anything like it before. It's like... being in the presence of a raging storm and a gentle tide all at once..."

I shook my head in disbelief, struggling to understand what she meant. For a brief moment, I pulled my focus away from the fog, and towards my hands. The trident-shaped markings glowed blue in the daylight. Although I didn't want to believe it, somewhere deep inside my frightened soul, I knew.

_Is she... is she talking about me?_ I thought, _What is going on here? I don't understand any of this..._

Another presence stepped out of that hut. Once more, I found myself peering into the fog. An aged old man, holding a staff, made his way down the wooden steps toward the woman. She turned around and gazed at him, her face full of worry. He peered back at her in turn, his expression solemn.

"You feel it too, do you not, my daughter?" He began, "The pulse of powerful water magic in the fog around us..."

The woman's eyes glimmered with concern. She rushed toward the old man, and helped him the rest of the way down the steps. Hobbling on his cane, the old man made his way toward the shore, his daughter in tow. She patted him on the shoulder, and narrowed her eyes in concern.

"Who could have done this, father? I've never felt anything like this before... Could this be the work of a hydromancer from Vednas?"

_"Hydromancer"? "Vednas"...?_

The old man shook his head. He closed his eyes, and held a frail, bony hand in the fog.

"No... this is far beyond their power. This is not the work of the Haidros Sect at all. Something else called this fog here..."

The daughter shook her head. "I don't know who else it could be..."

Stepping forward, the old man opened his eyes. He turned to face his daughter. Brimming with power, I continued to observe them through the fog as I hid. The entire conversation left me on pins and needles. Watching them, I felt like a person following a trail of breadcrumbs, hoping and praying I would glean the answers to some of my questions...

"There have been many signs of unrest from the Abyss as of late," The old man said, "It is said that the awakening of the Kraken heralds the end of an era, when Haidros' Progeny returns to the oceans of Erenos..."

When I heard the old man utter the name "Haidros", I gasped. I remembered that name, and the countless voices that invaded my thoughts. I remembered how they cried out to me—to Haidros—for salvation and aid. As I listened more and more, I found myself left with even more questions than answers.

_Erenos...? What is "Erenos"? Who is Haidros? What does that old man mean by "Divine Realm"?_

"Father, you still believe in those legends?" The daughter asked, her voice incredulous, "No one outside of Vednas believes in that anymore."

I slid back against the wall, in complete shock. Somehow, I truly had been spirited away to another world. One of my worst fears—that I was no longer on Earth—were now realized. Every inch of my body quaked in fear.

_I'm... on "Erenos"?_

"They are not mere legends, child. Our world is sustained by five forces. Without the power of the Erenoi, Erenos will crumble back into the Void..."

"...Erenos?" I said, unable to contain my shock any longer.

I clasped my hands over my mouth, realizing my mistake. The old man and his daughter perked their heads up at the sound of my voice echoing all around them. He narrowed his eyes and pointed his staff into the fog.

"Who's there?!" The old man shouted.

_Oh no... Oh no..._

The old man and his daughter slowly stepped toward the rocky outcropping—toward my hiding place. I shirked further and further away, afraid of what was about to happen. My pulse rose, and my breathing quickened. Squeezing my eyes shut, I cried out in my mind.

_Please no... please don't let them find me! I don't want to be seen like this!_

The moment those thoughts ran through my mind, that horrible power rushed to the surface. Blue light intensified all across my body. I wrapped my arms around my torso, waiting for that harrowing moment to end. I gasped for air as surging energy wracked my insides and washed all over my skin.

_What's... what's happening to me?!_

I looked down at my hands. In absolute horror, I watched as silver hands shifted into water, little by little, inch by inch. The change spread down my fingers, up my arms and shoulders, and then my torso. The brand carved into my skin shifted into brilliant blue light. Inhuman shrieks escaped my lips as my entire body transformed into water. My human shape melted away, collapsing into a puddle of liquid against the ground, while the brand vanished into thin air.

_What is this? Oh God, what is this?!_

"What the—"

"That noise... there's someone is here!"

The old man and his daughter ran toward my hiding place. Each of them stopped before a large, rocky boulder, and the newly formed puddle of water beside it. I looked up at them through the water, still conscious, still aware of everything around me in my new state...

"That's strange...," The daughter said, "I could've sworn I heard something..."

"I heard it as well. Something isn't quite right here at all..."

The old man, however, proved far more observant and vigilant. He peered down at the puddle of water with suspicion. As his daughter moved to approach the puddle of water, he blocked her with his staff, not even bothering to look her direction.

"Go back to the hut," he commanded.

"But Father—"

**"Go."**

Hesitating, the daughter ran off, leaving the old man alone. I peered up at him through the water—how I was able to do so, I didn't know at the time. I had no eyes, no arms, no limbs of any kind. I didn't know if I could even more anymore. I didn't know how I had done this, or how to reverse the transformation. All I knew was that somehow, I had become a sentient puddle of water. 

I dared not try to do anything. It took every once of willpower I possessed to not freak out. Between my sudden transformation, and the old man's continued glare of suspicion, my anxiety went through the roof. As I remained in my liquid state, frozen in horror and confusion, the old man knelt down and held a hand over the surface of my form.

_No! This can't be happening! **This can't be happening!**_

I reeled in panic and confusion, lost in the shock and horror I felt at my transformation. After several tense minutes of uncomfortable silence, the old man moved away from the puddle and walked back from the rocky outcrop separating his home from my hiding place. As I watched him disappear from view, I could contain my terror no longer. Like the walls of a dam bursting under pressure, I cried out in sheer horror.

Like an amoeba, the water housing my consciousness began to move. The pool squirmed, each droplet slithering across the ground as I pulled myself over grass and sand with frightening speed. Blue energy streaked across the surface of my form. My voice echoed all around me, distant and ethereal, as if I still possessed a mouth to speak.

Too afraid to linger in this state, I sped away from the rocky wall and the seaside hut. For several minutes, I wandered the woods nearby, searching for a new place to hide. Storms pelted the island, as if mirroring the chaos inside my own heart then. Thunder rumbled in the skies. I felt my liquid form jolt at the sound of the noise. As rain poured onto the landscape, I took shelter underneath a thick palm tree. My body pooled at its base, flickering with blue energy.

_Okay, Aidan... calm down. Let's stop freaking out now, and try to find some rational explanation for all this. Something had to have triggered this. If I managed to turn into water, there's got to be a way to change myself back to normal... but how? I—_

Before I could even continue that thought any further, I sensed a terrible change in the air. It felt cold... and lifeless, like death itself. At the edge of my awareness, darkness festered forth. My mind shifted back toward that hut, and toward the rocky shores nearby. Festering globs of black shadow grew all around a dark cavern, like twisted, overgrown moss. Four-legged horrors beyond anything I could imagine stepped out into the sun, and let out a deafening screech.

_What is this? Oh God, what is this?!_

Everywhere those creatures walked, the rocks blackened into obsidian, while the water became murky and diseased. With gleaming red eyes, they turned their attention toward the hut and its occupants. It melted into a puddle of black ooze, and slithered down the beach.

The door to the hut slammed open. Standing defiantly toward these monsters, the old man raised his staff. Blue energy, not unlike my own, glimmered faintly in the daylight. Screams of his daughter filled the air. She raced toward the door, and her father as the creatures attacked.

"Father! Father no!" She screamed.

Pain wracked my senses. My form bubbled and rose into the air, as I let out a shriek of my own.

**"No!"**

The vision left me just as suddenly as it came, leaving me breathless. That feeling of pure malice and evil tainted the air. As the storm continued to rage above, I could not ignore their screams. Anger built up inside me. I felt an intense hatred of these creatures, as if they were an affront to my very existence. That same part of me that felt at one with the ocean water now compelled me to find those monsters... and destroy them.

At that moment, I fled from my hiding place, possessed by pure, monstrous rage. My liquid form raced across sand, rocks, grass, and twigs. I pulled myself up the rocky walls, defying gravity. As I fell onto the other side of the wall with a splash, I found myself mere feet away from the hut. Blood and gore sprayed the steps leading inside. The screams of that woman filled my ears, followed by the shrieks of the monsters.

Further down the beach, I found the woman clutching the body of her father, while a swarm of blackened monsters cornered them before the water. 

"No! Get away! Get away from me!" She screamed.

The monsters hissed and snapped their jaws at her, eager to kill, eager to feed. My blood boiled at the sight of those creatures. I let out a shriek as I stopped mere feet away from them. Enraptured by power and instinct, I pooled myself together as I concentrated on the image of my true form. 

Within my being, that power surged and resonated in response. The liquid that made up my body rose up higher and higher. Water shifted and changed, forming the shape of humanoid arms and legs. Searing warmth spread across my body and raced down my limbs. I felt my body solidify. I opened my eyes, and found myself restored to my previous state.

_W...wha? How... how am I doing this?_

Before I could even process what had just happened, the monsters leapt on top of me. I fell backwards in the sand. I grabbed onto the monster's front claws with silver-skinned hands. The monster snarled and snapped its teeth at me, which stood mere inches from my face. 

All around me, stormy winds howled above, while another torrential deluge of water poured down from the heavens. The sensation of water drenching my skin sent waves of power flooding every inch of my being. A grimace formed on my face as I summoned my strength. Within moments, I forced the creature away from me and threw it off of me. It flew through the air with a vile scream before colliding with a nearby rock.

I jumped back onto my feet, completely unharmed. Standing there in the pouring rain, with alien power rushing through every part of my being, I felt unstoppable. I held my arms out, letting the water run down my palms. The woman looked upon me, utterly speechless. Each of the monsters turned their attention away from her, and toward me. As I stared into those blank, lifeless eyes, a strange feeling came over me. I fell into a trance, my mind became utterly divorced from my actions.

Like a pack of animals, they ran toward me. Time slowed to a crawl. The human part of me cried out in horror, begging and pleading for me to run. My body refused to listen to that inner voice. I had become one with the rain, the wind, and the raging sea storm now pelting the island. That new aspect of my being, drawn out by the flood of power all over my body, would not tolerate the abominations that stood before me.

_What are you doing?! Get out of there!_

As I stood there, stoic and expressionless in the face of certain death, alien thoughts invaded my mind. The ancient voice echoed in my consciousness, sending shivers down my spine.

**I am water. I am wind. I am the raging storm, and the gentle tide...**

I choked, unable to breathe, unable to stop the flow of energy rushing to my hands. As the monsters charged at me, I held up my arms. The trident markings on my palms burned with blue energy. I cried out in the depths of my own mind as cyclones of water burst from my palms. The monsters flew backwards with a shriek.

**I am the mist that blankets the heavens above. I am the frost that ensnares the earth below, and all that exists in between. I move through these forms, ever shifting, ever changing, ever flowing into eternity. My essence is the essence of life, the font from which all creation springs forth...**

My fingers spread out on both of my hands. Numbing cold ran down each of them. I held my hands in front of me, and watched as jagged claws of ice formed on my fingers. I watched through my own eyes as I ran toward the monsters, scythe-like claws extended.

**Child of my womb, inheritor of my essence, I pledge this covenant unto you, so that my creations may know salvation.**

Shrill, demonic shrieks filled the air. I sliced my fingers through the air. Mucous fluid, like crude oil, sprayed the air before erupting in blue flame. The liquid dripped down my fingers and onto the sand. Searing blue light radiated from the grooves all across my skin, flaring in response to the monsters before me.

_What's happening to me?!_

I couldn't stop myself, and the unbridled rage that fueled my trance. Here, standing in the soaking rain and fighting these abominations, I felt more alive than ever. The creatures snapped their jaws and leapt onto me. I planted my feet into the ground and threw them off me. They collided with the cliffs nearby. All around me, the earth rumbled. I turned around, and watched as an avalanche of rocks and boulders fell on top of me.

"No!"

The woman's voice screamed in horror as I became consumed by the avalanche. Buried in the rocks, debris, and sand, I couldn't move. Blue light intensified all over me. Power rushed to my arms and fingers. Against all reason, I grabbed onto the giant boulder beneath me... and pushed.

_I don't... I don't want to die!_

Flashes of lightning veered out in front of me as the boulder began to move. Torrential rainwater dripped onto my body from above, fueling strength unfathomable. 

_How...? How am I doing this?_

The monsters returned their attention to me. That horrible rage lit up inside me once more. Sheets of ice coated the underside of the boulder, spreading outward from my hands. With an inhuman shriek, I tossed the boulder at the monsters. Shards of rock and ice littered the air, while the monsters howled in agony.

Deafening silence filled the air. Sensing the destruction of those creatures, the rage within me subsided. I fell onto my hands and knees as the coating of ice on my fingers melted away. Blue light receded into the grooves on my skin.

**Protect... my children... protect...**

The ancient voice faded into the wind, leaving me breathless. I held my right hand in front of my face, in complete and utter shock at what had just happened. 

_That boulder... it must have been several tons at least. How did I do that? How was I doing any of that? What is this?_

I sat there, trying to make sense of it all. Rain dripped onto my body, fueling my power and my strength. I raised both of my hands in front of my face, staring down at the water pouring into my palms like sheets. 

Lost to my own thoughts, and at the mercy of that terrible power once more, I almost forgot about the fact that I stood in the presence of a woman. For the first time since my awakening, I became aware of my own nakedness, and my lack of body shame and modesty up to this point. As I watched her cradle the body of her dying father, the part of me that was human, and the other part of me—the part of me that was Erenoi—argued back and forth with one another.

_What is wrong with me!? I shouldn't be running around like this!_  
  
**_There is nothing wrong with me. I am fine. I am perfect._** __

_It isn't right! It's indecent! I should be ashamed of myself for exposing myself to someone like this!_

_**What do I care what mortals think of me? I am... exactly as I should be.** _

Those thoughts overpowered my doubts, banishing them into the back of my mind. Once more, I became oblivious to my own nudity, as if the concern never came to me at all...

"Father... Father, no... Wake up... please wake up... I need you... please don't leave me..." 

The woman's sobs tore me away from my inner turmoil. I turned around, watching her as she cradled the pale, bloodied form of the old man. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rainwater that drenched us all. As I took a step closer, her voice invaded my thoughts.

_«Please... please, Gods! Don't take my father away... please, don't let him die! I don't want to be alone...»_

Her voice froze me in place. I didn't know where that had come from, or even why. As I glanced down at the old man, I sensed something within him. A flickering spark shimmered inside his body. That spark grew weaker and weaker with every passing moment. Somewhere deep inside me, I realized just what that spark was.

_Soul... his soul..._

As I approached the woman, she looked up at me and screamed.

"No! Stay back! Don't come any closer..."

I froze in place, peering back at her in sadness. The way she looked at me—the same expression the captain of that ship gave me—crushed me. I didn't want to frighten her, nor did I want any of this to happen to her and her father. After several moments, I looked away from her, unable to bear her gaze any longer.

For several moments, neither of us dared to say anything to the other. The rain clung to her face, and drenched her clothes. As seconds passed, the old man grew colder and paler. I sensed the glimmer of his own soul grow weaker and weaker.

_«Please don't let my father die...»_

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to frighten you, but if you don't act quickly, your father will die. He doesn't have much time..."

My voice echoed throughout the rainstorm all around us. Her body shuddered in the cold. She dared not look away from me for a single moment, even as I refused to gaze back at her. I couldn't bear to see her expression, and the terror she must have felt seeing a being like myself. I could only begin to imagine what must have been going through her head at the time when she saw me...

With every ounce of strength she could muster, she lifted her father's body off the ground. I rushed to her side, and forced my shoulder beneath him as he nearly toppled onto the ground. Supporting his weight with my own, I helped the woman carry him back to their home. As we made her way up the steps to her home, she broke the silence.

"How did you know he was my father?"

I closed my eyes.

"I heard your voice in my mind," I answered her simply, "You were pleading for the Gods to spare your father's life. That's how I knew..."

She froze in the doorway, her eyes wide with awe and wonder. As she pulled her father's body off my own, she cocked her head at me.

"What... What manner of being are you?"

A sad expression formed on my face. Just as it had when I fell onto that ship, the question tormented me. I had no answer for her, much less for myself, even as her eyes pleaded to me for answers.

"I... I don't know," I responded, "I don't know what I am... All I know is that I am here, standing before you, miss."

"Just who... are you?"

At first, I thought the answer to that question would be simple. The answer that came to my mind... and the answer that escaped my mouth... were two very different things.

"My name is Aidan," I told her, "Aidan..."

In the back of my mind, I felt that power stir. The same influence that beckoned me to return to the ocean waters—that beckoned me to defend this woman and her father from those monsters—ensnared my mind once more. As the name 'Piersson' danced on my tongue, another name forced itself out of me.

"...Haidros."

Shudders ran down my spine. I shook my head in disbelief. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the name 'Piersson' out of my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut, and clasped my head in confusion.

"No... that's not it! That's not it at all! I—"

_Why? Why can't I say my own name?! What's wrong with me?!_

As I stood there, lost in my own confusion, the woman looked at me with a startled expression on her face.

"Haidros... that's the name of the Sea God..."


	9. Aidan, The World of Erenos

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter IX - Aidan, The World of Erenos

"P... Pi... Pi-egh..."

As I waited outside for the woman to return, I stood behind the hut. For several minutes, I tried to utter my true family name. Every time I did so, my jaws locked up, and my lips refused to move. All I could utter was a forced, strangled syllable and nothing more. In the back of my mind, I sensed that power within me at work, silencing me and stifling my efforts; the harder I fought to say my true name, the harder that power fought back.

"Pi...errr...sss... Pierss..."

_This isn't hard! Why is this so hard?!_

My jaws tightened. I furrowed my brow and closed my eyes. It took all of my focus just to get beyond the first letter of my last name. Like a snake, that power slithered in my mind. That name forced itself out of me in place of my true name once more.

"...Haidros...!"

Panic consumed my every thought. My heart throbbed inside my chest, like it was about to explode. I gazed down at my hands, and the alien silver flesh that covered them. Blue light glimmered from the grooves across my skin, resonating with the wind and rain all around me. Lost inside my horror and turmoil, I could only return to the one thing that had haunted me since my awakening...

_What has that light done to me? How far has this transformation gone? Is it not enough that it has stolen my humanity? Did it rob me of my name as well?_

I pondered this for several minutes, trying to piece together this mystery. Despite the implication, I still remembered my original name, my original life. That power did not silence the memory of the name "Piersson" at all—only my ability to speak it. My identity reaffirmed, my breathing, which had become short and erratic in my panic, slowed. I calmed down and curled my fingers.

_No, that's not true at all. I'm... I'm still Aidan Piersson. I'm not Haidros or anyone else. I haven't lost that part of me. Why, then, am I not able to speak my name? Just who **is** Haidros?_

The woman's words haunted me, as did the prayers that assaulted my thoughts in that foggy cavern:

_"Haidros... that's the name of the Sea God..."_

_We pray to you, Lord Haidros..._

_We beseech you, Child of the Depths... hear our prayer..._

_Lend us your aid!_

_Save us... Lord... Haidros..._

_Sea God?_ I shook my head in disbelief at that very thought. _Haidros... is a Sea God? Is he someone these people worship? If so... then why I am hearing prayers to him? I've never heard of this 'Haidros' character at all, nor do I have any faith in him. How am I doing any of this? Just what even **is** this power?_

"A-Aidan Haidros, was it?"

I jumped up, startled by the woman's voice. The rain intensified around us, as if mirroring my emotions then. I turned around and found myself staring into the woman's green eyes. Her soaked red hair dripped water onto the sand all around her. Once more, I averted my gaze, unable to bear looking into those pleading eyes any longer. Even as I did so, a wave of worry and concern washed over me.

_Why did she call me that? That's not my name!_

"My father's condition has stabilized... for now," She began. The woman stepped forward, while her eyes watered. "I...I don't know how to repay you f-for saving my father and I from the Netherim. If you hadn't fought off those demons, I shudder to think what would have be—"

"Why did you call me that?" I asked.

The woman stopped and froze in her tracks. Far above us, the clouds darkened. A bitter wind blew through the area, sending her coppery red hair flailing through her cloak.

"But... But I thought that—"

"I told you before... that's not my name." I let out a sigh. "Look... forget what I said back there. Just call me Aidan, alright?"

"Oh..."

_Great. Now look what you've done, Aidan! You've gone and made things awkward. Way to go, you moron! How are you going to get some answers if you keep putting your foot in your mouth like this?_

Silence formed between us. For several minutes, neither of us dared to break that silence. I shifted my weight, trying to change the subject.

"So, um... I-I've been meaning to ask you something..." I swallowed hard, bracing myself for what might come next before continuing. "...W-who is 'Haidros'?"

The woman turned pale. A stunned expression formed on her face, as if I had said something crazy to her. She held her chin in thought, clearly at a loss on how to answer my question. I blinked back at her, even more confused than when I started. She turned around and faced the ocean.

"Haidros is one of the Five Gods," she began, "He is the lord of the waters around you. Haidros commands power over the wind, the rain... the very seas themselves. The people of Vednas revere Him as a God of Life, whose boundless generosity has allowed all who live within the Southern Isles to prosper."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "So... he's more than just a Sea God?"

She paused for a brief moment. "Haidros has many titles: Lord of the Ocean, Ruler of the Depths, Master of the Waves, Harbinger of Storms, Giver of Life... and many more. All things born of water are His domain."

Frowning, I took a tentative step forward. The woman turned around and looked directly into my eyes.

"You... aren't from around here, are you...?" She asked.

_What do I tell her? Do I tell her I'm from Earth? Do I tell her what happened on that boat, and the monster that attacked it? No... that'll just scare her even more. The thought of even seeing that abomination again makes my blood run cold..._

I shifted my gaze toward the wet sand at my feet. "No... No, I'm not..." I let out a huge sigh. "I come... from a place very far away from here..."

The woman pursed her lips and crossed her arms, unimpressed with my meager answer. "That much is obvious to me."

She held her hand up and watched the rain pool in her palm. In the cold moisture surrounding us, I watched her body shiver. As she struggled to keep warm in the rain, my skin relished the water streaming onto me from above. I didn't feel any discomfort from being out in the cold at all.

 _Strange... I don't_ feel _cold... Why haven't I noticed this before?_

"Hey... I don't mean to keep you out here in the rain. If it's okay with you, would you mind if we continued this conversation inside?" I asked her.

A small sigh formed on the woman's lips. "I suppose you're right. Despite your strangeness, you've meant no harm to us thus far... Very well, come with me, Aidan."

The two of us walked in silence. All the while, I felt the woman's eyes on me. Before either of us could step onto the wooden planks that made up the stairs to the hut, she froze in her tracks. Blue light shimmered from the grooves all across my skin. In the back of my mind, I sensed her confusion, her doubt, her fascination, and her curiosity toward me.

"Aidan... forgive me for being so bold, but do you always... run around like this?" She asked me.

I paused for a moment before shaking my head. "No... this is... a recent change for me..."

Perhaps I should have felt offended. Yet, I didn't take any offense to her question at all. Had I not been the one trapped in that divine state of being, I would have asked something similar. The human part of me empathized with how she must have felt, seeing me like that. 

"You've been hanging around my home for hours, and not once have you bothered to get dressed. Aren't you even the least bit cold, standing out in the rain _naked_ like this?" She hugged her arms, while her body shivered in the rain and the fog. "I'm freezing out here in this rain. It usually never rains this much... I have no idea what's causing all this to happen..."

I sighed, not sure how much I wanted to answer her. The wind and rain made everything cool and moist, though not uncomfortable. That same twisted part of me _liked_ it this way. Pushing back the euphoria I had from being in contact with the water, I tried to answer her as best I could, given what little knowledge I possessed of my new body at the time.

"The cold doesn't bother me at all. I feel how cold it is, but I don't feel like I need to curl up by a fire or anything like that. Not yet, anyway..."

"Don't you even care if people see you like this?" Her voice took on a tone of concern.

Deep down, the _human_ part of me cared. I _knew_ walking around nude was immodest and shameless on my part—not to mention inappropriate. But that was the problem: when you are born, you are taught things like modesty and body shame. You are told when and where it is appropriate to walk around naked and exposed on pain of humiliation. 

The Erenoi mind neither cared about such things, nor could that aspect be _made_ to care. To the Erenoi, nudity was our natural state of being. We were inextricably bonded to forces beyond mortal ken, and that part of us—the part of us that were _gods_ —considered such concerns far, far beneath us. Physically immortal and invulnerable, we had no innate need or _desire_ to wear clothing, so we simply didn't bother. As far as the Erenoi aspect of us was concerned, we were perfect and flawless.

I didn't know any of this at the time. All I knew was that standing in the rain made me feel strong and powerful. I _felt_ the water, the wind, the rain, and the ocean waves moving beyond the island. All the while, I stood before her, oblivious to my own nakedness, lost within the power that had taken root within me. As had happened during my first encounter with this woman and her father, the god within me squelched any shame or concern regarding my own nudity.

"I... I _do_ care... it's just... It's hard to explain, but... walking around the way I am right now... it just feels _natural_ to me, like it's something I should be doing... I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend..."

The woman sighed and looked away from me. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. That was very forward of me to ask. I'm sure... you have other reasons for being the way that you are right now. Let's just go inside, and pretend we didn't have this conversation."

Without saying anything further, we wove our way around the stilts of wood that held up the foundation of their hut, and toward the stairs leading inside. As she passed through the strings of beads hanging above the doorway, she motioned for me to follow. The moment I parted the beads and stepped inside, my overwhelming strength vanished. I collapsed onto my hands and knees, inches from the doorway.

_No! Not again! Why is this happening?!_

"Aidan?!" The woman cried out, panicked by what was happening, "Aidan, what's wrong?!"

I struggled to move my arms and legs, which felt like heavy weights. To my own horror, I found myself unable to move, too weak to stand or lift myself off the ground. Inside my body, that terrible power raged once more. That same twisted, inhuman part of me wanted to throw myself back out into the rain, to drench myself in the water that fueled my being. Every fiber of my body screamed for that wonderful moisture to return.

**Water... I must return... to the water...**

_What's happening to me? Why am I paralyzed again?!_

**Must... regain... the water... Must... regain... my strength...**

_Why?! Why now?! Please, I don't want to be trapped like that again!._

"I... I can't... Augh!"

I squeezed my eyes shut, at the mercy of that force within me once more. Heat flared up all over my body. Blue light intensified all along the grooves covering my skin. As I cried out in the depths of my mind, power rushed to the surface. Then... it suddenly stopped. 

Pinpricks of moisture spread all over me. With each passing moment, my strength finally returned to me. The discomfort that had wracked my flesh mere moments ago vanished. I was... fine again.

_W... wha..._

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Thick wisps of fog rose up from the grooves all over my skin, blanketing my body. It spread all over the woman's hut, covering everything inside. Gasping, I held up my right hand, my eyes in utter disbelief. I turned my hand over, and stared at the glowing blue brand. Fog ebbed and flowed out of the blue light, floating higher and higher into the air around me.

_How...?_

My entire body trembled as I rose onto my feet. I gazed back at the woman, who stared at my entire debacle with shock, awe, and amazement.

"The fog..." She whispered, "You are the source of the fog covering this island..."

I swallowed hard, uncomfortable with this new revelation. My mind went back to the moment I had woken up in the cave I had taken shelter. Back then, I found the presence of fog rising above the pool I slept in eerie and strange. I didn't know what had caused it then. The storm that had appeared over the island after I made landfall and collapsed, too, came suddenly and without warning or explanation.

_Am I... Am I the one **causing** all this? Did that storm that blanketed the island come... because of me? Did I somehow "call" that storm here? How am I doing this? What the hell is going on? I don't understand. I don't understand any of this at all!_

"Incredible... Absolutely _incredible_." The woman paused, sizing me up from head to toe. "How are you able to do this? How are you able to manipulate water in the manner that you do?"

I had no answer for her. Lost in my own turmoil, my thoughts ran rampant in every direction. I turned my focus inward, recalling the moment I made landfall... and the sensations that followed. The dizziness, the vertigo, the loss of energy and strength, and the paralysis that came afterward... it all happened the moment I stepped onto dry land, beyond the water that fueled the overwhelming power inside me, just as it had the moment I entered this woman's home. On the heels of one revelation came a frightening possibility—one I didn't want to believe was true at all.:

_No! It can't be! It isn't possible! I should be able to walk on land just fine! Why is my body doing this? Why have I become like this?!_

I slowly shifted my gaze away from my hands and looked up at the woman. 

"I don't know...," I finally replied to her, "I don't know _anything_... I don't even know why I'm here, or where 'here' even _is_! I don't even know where to begin wrapping my head around this..."

Her expression went from awestruck amazement to concern-filled pity. She waded through the fog covering her hut, sizing me up from head to toe. A brief silence filled the air as she mulled over how to respond. I pursed my own lips, bracing myself for what I was about to hear. 

Without another word, she walked toward the back of the hut, past the hammock her unconscious father slept on, and rummaged through their things in a nearby chest. From the chest, she pulled out an aged piece of paper. The woman uncurled the paper and exposed its contents to me. Drawn on the paper was a map: a map of a circular chain of islands, surrounding a vast, abyssal sea...

"You stand on the shores of this island," The woman said, pointing to a small speck of land, "It lies off the northwestern coast of this island over here, called Bristayn. They are but one of several here that make up the Southern Isles, Aidan."

I stared at the map, at a loss for words. I knew the truth by that point: I stood on another world, far away from the one I called home. The truth, however, did not sink in until I gazed at the map, at the islands and the seas that surrounded them. Just as I had sensed before, the islands encompassed a central point... a point I remembered all too well.

_This place, right here... I came from this place... This was where all those ships were, and where I woke up... near that horrid monster..._

My eyes studied the alien characters on the map. Though I had never seen anything like them before, the swirled, angular letters spoke to me. The names of each of the islands entered my mind: Bristayn... the Saaiv Archipelago... Vednas... Talis... Ganav... Cenari... Falstar... Salrune... Sendravi... Solstice... Luan... Ryune... Anval... Zandusch... Zaetest... and the point each of them encompassed like a ring....

_'The Abyss...'_

At that moment, my mind flashed back to the moment I landed on that ship... when that monster appeared and laid waste to the ships sailing in the area. Amid the terror and the blinding rage that consumed me, the monster's thoughts in my mind rang out clear as day. I found myself back in that harrowing moment once more.

_**'I am the eternal fury of the Abyss. You cannot destroy me.'** _

_'No! Stop! Don't hurt them! Please, they're only trying to protect themselves!'_

_**'Your trespass into these sacred waters will not go unpunished.'** _

_'I don't want this! I don't want any of this! Please, I can't bear to watch this anymore!'_

I snapped back into the present moment with a gasp. My heart raced, while every inch of my body shook. The woman's eyes glanced up at me, full of worry.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry... I'm fine now..." I pointed at the center of map. "What is this place over here?"

The woman looked at where I pointed, and then returned a solemn stare. I furrowed my brow in worry and confusion.

_Did I say something wrong again? Why do I always do that?_

"That... is a sacred and holy place," She began, whispering in hushed tones, "No one, save for fools and brigands, dares to cross those waters..."

I blinked and shook my head at her. Although I had an inkling of why that might have been, I needed to know more about this world I found myself in. Somehow, I had awakened in this world, somewhere at the bottom of that horrible, alien place—the place she called "The Abyss". Deep inside my heart, I knew that much to be true.

She shook her head back at me, in utter disbelief. "You mean... You don't know? You don't know _anything_... about the Abyss?"

This time, I shook my head at her. "I told you before, miss... I know nothing of where we are. I was hoping you could... _enlighten_ me."

"So you truly don't know about the Abyss at all?" The woman paced around me, shaking her head as she did so.

I could tell she was at a loss for words. I waited several moments, hoping I could get something, any kind of answer out of her before I wore out my welcome.

_I'm lucky this lady is even tolerating me inside her house. The fog is probably making everything in here damp... I just need to get my bearings so I can find a way back home..._

Then she suddenly began to speak.

"Listen well to what I am about to say to you, Aidan... For this is a tale handed down for many generations, a tale that began many aeons ago..." The woman took a deep breath. "Haidros rules the oceans of this world of Erenos from His throne at the bottom of the Southern Seas. At the genesis of Erenos, before life and memory, Haidros arose from a hidden chasm between the infant mountains. Using His power, He poured water onto the world below from the palm of His hand, and formed what would become the oceans and seas of Erenos. When Haidros and the Four Gods finished Their labors, They each set about the five corners of this new world, and carved out Their domains. Haidros returned the very same crevasse He came from, and made his Home there. That crevasse became the Abyss, the deepest part of the ocean, surrounded by the Southern Isles...

"...Or so it has been told. Whether or not any of this is actually true or not, I don't know for certain. All I know is that everyone fears the Abyss, and the creatures and monsters that guard it on the Sea God's behalf. The seas are chaotic and treacherous in the Abyss, and even with all this in mind, no one has ever been able to safely cross those black waters... That is why no one dares to enter the Abyss..."

"I see..." My voice echoed in a series of quiet whispers. "I had no idea..."

The woman rolled up her map, and put it near the chest. "Whether or not you believe these stories and legends is up to you. My father... was a hydromancer for the Order of Haidros. We used to live in Aquias, the capital of Vednas, where the Temple of Haidros is located. He told me many stories and tales about Haidros and the Erenoi. However, my father had a falling out with the Order, and set about his own path. So he and I moved here, where he wanted to keep watch over the Abyss. He still believed Haidros and the Gods... he still had faith that the Erenoi would come..."

"Erenoi?" I shook my head at her, even more confused. "What's an Erenoi?"

"It is said that when Erenos teeters on the brink of collapse, when the Netherim return to cast Erenos back into the Void, the Gods will send forth their children, the Erenoi, to redeem Erenos once more. They are said to wield the powers of the Five Gods, but no one remembers what they look like, or even if the Erenoi ever truly existed. Father told me that the last Erenoi to rule these waters was Cornelius Haidros, and that was thousands of years ago, but I cannot say for certain if any of this is true..."

As I listened to her tell me these things, my blood ran cold. My focus shifted inward. I had no idea if anything she said had any truth to it; she was only reciting the stories her father and those around her had told her. Yet when she said the name of that Erenoi—Cornelius Haidros—it got me wondering. Apparently, it also got the woman wondering as well.

"When you said your name was Aidan Haidros earlier, I was confused. No one takes up the name of one of the Five Gods without being called a blasphemer. From what my father told me of his days back in the Order, only the Erenoi are said to take on the names of the Gods..."

I sat down on the floor and closed my eyes in thought. Every part of my body shook. While she answered some of my questions, countless more took their place.

_Okay... I think I've got it now. I'm on an island situated in the "Southern Isles" of a world called "Erenos". At the center of the Southern Isles is the deepest part of the ocean, called "The Abyss". No one likes going to the Abyss because they'll make the local sea god angry, although a whole bunch of people have been stupid enough to try anyway._

_How do I get back home? How did I end up in the Abyss anyhow? Is anything she said true? She didn't... exactly seem to have a lot of faith in the stories she was telling..._

"What do you think?" I asked her, "Haidros, the Five Gods you spoke of, and the Erenoi... do you think any of them are real, miss?"

The woman rummaged through the trunk, and put the map away. "My father still holds a great deal of faith in the Sea God. These stories he's told me... for the longest time, I thought they were all fairy tales and legends. Then Netherim suddenly appeared on the island recently. Now... I don't know what to believe anymore. I have never been the most religious; even when Father and I lived in Vednas, I neither paid any respect to nor worshipped Haidros the way Father did.

"My mother died... to the famine that's been plaguing the isles. So many people have prayed to Haidros for aid, but not once has the Sea God answered us. My faith in Haidros died along with my mother... or so I thought. Then you appeared before us, Aidan... from out of nowhere. You wield a power far greater than Father's, and... I am both fascinated and frightened by it. When I stand near you, I feel as though I am standing both in the eye of a furious maelstrom over the sea, and in the stillness of a peaceful lake all at once..." The woman shook her head. "I don't know why I'm saying this to you. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but... I feel safe with you here, despite your strange appearance and behavior. Maybe... just maybe... you can do what my father could not: purge the island of the Netherim infesting it."

I cocked my head to the side at her. "You keep mentioning these 'Netherim'... just what exactly are those monsters?"

A yawn escaped the woman's lips. She grabbed a number of logs, and set them into a fire pit at the center of the hut.

"They're the spawn of the Void, the essence of its hatred toward the Erenos and the Five Gods creations. When the powers of the Five Gods wane, they pour into the world, destroying and corrupting all they touch, and spreading pestilence where ever they walk. They are the antithesis of the Gods Themselves..."

She grabbed a piece of flint, and sparked a fire in a pit at the center of the hut. There, she laid down next to me, and huddled by the fire.

"Forgive me, I'm so exhausted right now. I need to rest, Aidan... I promise I'll tell you more when I wake up."

I blinked. "Uh, sure, if that's how you—" And just like that, she was out cold. With nothing else to do, I watched over her as she slept, alone with my thoughts.


	10. Aidan, Unforseen Tragedy

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter X - Aidan, Unforseen Tragedy

_Sunlight blazed in the skies above. Seagulls cried out along the shore, while the laughter of men, women, and children filled the air—laughter that included my own. I scooped sand into buckets and built sand castles, pretending and playing as the other children did. My mother watched me from a nearby blanket, while my father went off somewhere. Where he went, I neither knew nor cared, focused solely on making my latest masterpiece..._

_As I placed another castle-shaped pile of sand on the shore, a huge wave crashed along the shore. I became covered in salt water, while the sea swallowed my sand castle. I frowned in disappointment. Brushing the wet sand off my small, seven-year-old hands, I became bored with my sand castle and I looked around for something else to do. I watched countless people swimming around into the ocean with paddles and life-jackets._

Wow... those people are swimming really far out there. I wonder what's over there?

_I turned toward my mother, who shielded her eyes from the sun as she gazed toward me._

_"Mom, can I go swimming?"_

_She pursed her lips. "Alright, Aidan, but don't go too far. Your father's going to be back soon, and I don't want you getting hurt out there..."_

_"I'll be careful, Mom, don't worry!"_

_With my mother's permission granted, I ran into the ocean. I swam as far as my small arms and legs would allow, weaving through the crowd of people floating in the water. My curiosity piqued, I stroked my way toward a jagged set of rocks toward the far end of the beach. By the time I reached the rock, the group of people swimming near it had long vanished._

Huh? Where did everyone go?

_The sun blared down on me from above. As the heat took its toll, I tried to swim back to shore. Before I could do so, I felt the pull of the water dragging me down. Immediately, I panicked as my body dipped below the surface of the cresting waves. I swam against the current, fighting with all the strength my young body could give._

_"Help! Help! Somebody help!"_

_Bubbles floated upward all around me—bubbles that carried the echoes of my screams. I couldn't breathe. My lungs cried out for precious, precious air. All the while, the force of the water pulled me deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the undertow as it drew me further from the light._

Mom... Dad... Help...

_What little strength I had in my body faded. The more the water pulled me, the more terrified I became. Deprived of precious air, I began to lose consciousness._

Please... I... I... don't... want... to die...

_The world darkened around me. My lungs burned, unable to breathe. I sank deeper and deeper into the ocean waters. I heard a splash and felt a shadow looming over me. My hand instinctively reached out toward the surface. Darkness then swallowed all awareness..._

\---

My eyes snapped open as I bolted forward. My heart pounded in my chest as I hyperventilated. The hot burning daylight of that painful memory gave way to the darkness of the woman's hut. Rather than the small, child-like human hands from my memory, I gazed back at the alien, metallic-looking flesh that covered every inch of my older, adult palms. 

As I brushed aside the growing feelings of unease toward that alien flesh, I started to recall how I had ended up here: after the woman went to sleep, I moved away from the fire so that the woman could continue to keep warm where she slept. I waited for her to wake up so I could ask her more questions, but my mind raced in so many directions just trying to make sense of it all...

_God... I must have dozed off again. I don't... feel physically tired, but mentally... This has been taking its toll on me..._

I found myself lost within that painful memory, and the frightened seven-year-old I had been so long ago. Even years after the fact, I could never forget what happened. That day haunted me now, just as it had since my childhood. It had been years since I last relived that terrible nightmare. The horrible feelings it left behind stunned and paralyzed me, leaving me breathless in its wake.

_Why? Why now? I thought I was over this! This is what I went to therapy for all those years... Goddammit..._

Frustration boiled inside me. I wanted to shove that terrible memory into the darkness forever. Now more than ever, I wanted to forget the pain of my near-drowning, and the crushing powerlessness that came with it. As I became more and more lost in my memories, pouring rain, punctuated by thunder and lightning, brought me crashing back into the horrible reality I found myself in.

_What the hell was that?! It's like... the sky was tearing itself apart in anger..._

I shook my head, not wanting to entertain that thought any further. Instead, I shifted my gaze to foggy darkness around me. The fire, once bright with warmth and light, had long been snuffed out. A thin layer of moisture covered the charcoal remains of the fire logs used to fuel it. I brushed a silver finger across the moist, brittle surface. The charred wood snapped apart under the slightest touch. I pulled my hand away, taken aback by what happened.

_I barely touched it! I know it's burnt, but even burnt wood isn't this... fragile..._

For a brief moment, I glanced at my hand. Fog swirled all around me, wisping upwards from the grooves all over my skin. Blue energy dimly flickered in the darkness, slowly shifting in brightness with each passing moment. As the droplets of cool moisture met my skin, I felt that alien strength flowing through every inch of my hand, and into my fingertips. I turned my hand around, feeling my skin move as I twisted and moved my fingers around.

As I pondered all this, I sensed that power stir within me. I shifted my gaze toward the bead-lined doorway. Beyond the rays of moonlight pouring into the hut, blue light emanated from the recesses etched into my skin, glowing softly in the darkness of the hut. Power rippled across my flesh as I became lost in the foreign sensations it brought.

**Aidan...**

An ethereal whisper called out to me in the darkness. Shivers ran down my spine. I sensed the rain falling onto the earth from the heavens above. I felt the rising tide, beckoned by the pull of the moon above. Just as it had done before, the call of the tide enraptured my being, forcing me up from the floor of the woman's hut.

**Aidan... Haidros...**

Like a being possessed, I stepped outside and walked toward the ocean. Raindrops streaked down every inch of my body, flooding the grooves all across my body. Blue light flared up in response, filling me with strength and euphoria. More and more, the tide swallowed the beach, slinking ever closer to the hut and blanketing the shore.

**Come to me, wayward Sea Child...**

Now more than ever, I wanted to become one with the water. I wanted to throw myself into the waves, to disappear into the ocean's depths once more. Despite the unbridled joy I felt at being in the downpour, I stepped into the waves, letting them crash against my bare, silver feet. There, on the precipice between land and sea, I stared to the dark depths beyond.

Enraptured by the bliss of the water, I reached my right hand out toward the water. It swirled in front of and around me before rising up from the surrounding tide. Drawn upward by the power inside me, the water danced around my fingertips. I closed my eyes, while a twisted smile formed on my face.

**_I am one with the waters of this world..._ **

Once more, the Erenoi part of me had taken hold. Just as it had in the nightmare of my childhood, the ocean threatened to swallow me. The power that had infested my being threatened to drown me once more, to draw me into the tide's alluring embrace and consume me as it had tried to do in my youth. It whispered to me, beckoned me, called to me to venture further...

Within the depths of the ocean, my sight knew no limits. I sensed every pocket of life, every forest of underwater grass and seaweed in my domain beyond. That power searched through the vast ocean depths, until it came upon pockets of darkness extending all over vast distances of the sea floor... and all over the islands above. As the water moved and twirled around my fingers visions of blackened, hive-like warrens filled with unspeakable horrors and abominations assaulted my mind. 

Ethereal cries of men fighting off horrors followed. Against my will, I watched as women, children, and other alien creatures cowered in terror as the monsters devoured the life from them. Others became food to quell insatiable bloodthirst, while others rose, their bodies shifting and contorting in inhuman ways. They turned on their former allies, their souls corrupted beyond repair. 

_Help me..._

_Help us, Lord Haidros..._

_It hurts..._

_Make the agony stop!_

_Free us! Save us!_

_Mom... where are you? I can't see..._

_O sacred Lord of the Abyss, deliver us from evil..._

_Dark... it's so dark... I can't see anything..._

_I don't want to die... please don't let me die, Lord Haidros!_

_The pain... I... can't... help... me... Haidros..._

All around me, their terrified voices cried out. Pain wracked every inch of my body. My skin burned as blue energy intensified with the rain and the growing tide. I furrowed my brow and lurched backward, taken aback by the intense sensations flooding my being.

_No... not again! Oh God... Oh God, why is happening to me?!_ I screamed in my mind.

Dolphins, whales, and other sea life screamed in terror. Just as they had with the land above, they laid waste to the sea below. Crystal waters became murky and polluted in their presence. Their vile pestilence spread outward, withering all plant-life ebbing from the sea. I felt their pain as their bodies became laced in vine-like blackness. I sensed the sharks and fish writhe in agony as that dark power corrupted them, changing them into underwater horrors.

From hidden caverns on the islands to the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean, vile tendrils of ink-like darkness spread through the water and all over the land, blighting everything they touched. One of those pockets still remained on this very island... near this very couple I had taken shelter with. At the very sight of that wretched, writhing hive, my back shot straight up, and an inhuman snarl escaped my lips. Once more, that same rage and hatred that had consumed me hours ago took hold of me once more.

**_You..._ **

As the tide swallowed my legs, water embraced me. The grooves all over my body flared a brilliant blue light. Within moments, I felt the familiar tingle run all over my body. I cried out in the depths of my mind, my human thoughts divorced from the divine rage that fueled my every action at that moment.

_No! Stop! What's going on?!_

**_How dare you... How dare you defile my oceans!_ **

Clouds gathered in the heavens above, blocking out the silver glow of the three moons above. Gale force winds billowed all around me, while the ocean surged. Salt water crashed against the shore of the island as I seethed in divine rage. Rain pelted the island, drenching everything around me and fueling the alien power that had taken hold of me.

Amid the chaos, footsteps pattered against the sand, briefly tearing me away from my fury. I sensed the woman running behind me in the rain, rushing toward me with a horrified expression on her face. The human part of me wanted to turn toward her, to scream at her to run away. Strangely enough, so did the god within me.

"Aidan...?" She stepped closer to me, her body quaking in terror. "Aidan, what's going on?! What's happening?!"

Without looking back at her, I narrowed my eyes, focused entirely on the wretched hive infesting the island.

"They're coming, mortal. The Netherim are coming."

_'Mortal'? What am I saying?! This isn't me! I don't talk like this! What's wrong with me?!_

She shook her head at me, baffled by my words. I, too, found myself shocked and horrified by the words leaving my mouth—words uttered against my will. My voice echoed throughout the storm, cold and devoid of any emotion.

"What are you saying? You're not making any sense, Aidan!"

"The Netherim will do everything in their power to destroy you. Soon, they will swarm all over your home, and destroy this small home you hold dear. You and your father must get away from here!"

"But Aidan—"

Demonic shrieks pierced the air, drowning out the woman's voice. Through the water and rain, I sensed them rushing out of their hive. I turned my head toward their direction, and let out an inhuman roar of my own. At that moment, I sensed the woman's fear as she ran into her hut, bracing herself for what would soon unfold.

Power surged within every part of me. The woman ran off, too frightened to say anything further. I, too, felt afraid for myself and powerless to stop the force within. Sea water pulled away from me as chrome-like flesh shifted into water. Within seconds, my entire body melted, collapsing into a puddle of water once again.

**_I will not abide your existence, Netherim!_ **

My liquid form sped across the sand, and toward a cavern far along the coast. Water drenched the cavern, seeping into the wretched hive within. Liquid darkness snaked around the blackened, jagged rocks, like twisted moss that ensnared everything in its path. From a swirling nidus spawned nightmarish horrors—the very same monstrosities I had encountered hours ago. They poured out of the cavern in droves, driven onward by overwhelming rage and hatred that bled out from every fiber of their being.

Just as I had sensed them, they too sensed me. Each and every one of those abominations hurtled toward me at blinding speed. Ocean water converged around my liquid form. I became one with the water beyond. Although formless, my consciousness spread all throughout the waves, an extension of my will. Under the backdrop of a powerful storm, the water pulled back away from the shore, compelled by the overpowering fury coursing through me.

Through the torrential downpour, I sensed the water dripping into their small hut, and the woman cowering in fear around her unconscious father's body. She held onto him for dear life as Netherim gathered onto the beach not far away, rushing toward the ocean. For the briefest moment, I snapped out of that fury, and became consumed by fear—fear for two lone people I had only just met. Lost within that power, I tried to pull back.

_Stop! I don't want to hurt them!_

_**I am the will of the ocean...** _

I pushed against that fury and those thoughts with everything I had. Waves coalesced in the ocean beyond, surging in response to my inhuman fury. For a brief moment, a shudder ran through the cursed forms of the Netherim. Their gleaming red eyes stared into the water. As lightning flashed in the skies above, my fury exploded. My inhuman shrieks of rage echoed across the ocean as a tidal wave formed in the water. 

_**...And I sentence you to death! Drown in the depths for all eternity, Netherim!** _

The woman's screams echoed in my mind as the tidal wave washed over the beach, narrowly missing her hut. All throughout the water, the Netherim's shrieks echoed through the ocean in every direction. As they floated in the water, drowning and suffocating under the depths, blue light surged all around them. Their bodies convulsed and ignited in blue flame, before vanishing completely. 

Snarling, I turned my awareness to the surviving Netherim that washed ashore. I focused my mind, as streams of water flowed away from the ocean, flickering with that same blue energy. My mind strained as I forced the water together, forming a pool near the ocean. Just as it had the first time, that power resonated, responding to my every thought. The water rose up, solidifying and forming my body once more. That same burning warmth spread all across every part of my body as I opened my eyes.

All over my body, searing blue light flared up from the grooves in my skin. Rain from above and water from below drenched me and pooled at my feet, filling me with strength. The Netherim screamed at me, and I roared back at them in fury. I stepped toward them against my will, while blinding cold formed across my fingertips. To my inner shock, claws of ice spread around my fingers.

I screamed in the depths of my mind as I clashed with the surviving Netherim. They swiped at me with their claws, and bore their fangs at me. Fueled by the power brought on by the storm, I dodged their blows, and dug my ice-claws into their flesh. Blue flames lit up from the wounds I left on their bodies. Before the might of that power within me, they were as nothing. 

_**I will purge your putrescence from my oceans!** _

My form rushed toward their den with inhuman speed, intent on eradicating it and the foul spring from which these monsters came.

The Netherim chased me from both behind and from their den near the hut. Their anger, their hatred of my very being, poisoned the air and filled my thoughts. My own rage, fueled by that alien power infesting my being, drowned them all out. The god within me wanted these creatures eradicated and destroyed completely... and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I could only watch, a passenger inside my own body, as this holy battle raged before my eyes.

I wanted to cower, to run away in absolute terror. That power wouldn't let me. As I narrowly avoided a clawed swipe to my face, I mentally screamed in horror at my circumstances. Somewhere in the depths of my mind, I pleaded for this madness to end.

_Oh God, help me... make it stop! Please, I'm begging you! I don't want to be a part of this any longer!_

My pleas fell on deaf ears. These monsters wanted me dead... and the god within me felt the same for them. I stood before the wretched hive they called home. The stench of rotting flesh permeated the outside. I wanted to gag, and to vomit right then and there. Instead of doing either of these things, I walked towards the blackened meat moss that festered on the outside. With ice-clawed fingertips, I swiped away at them, intent on getting further inside.

Those same vines rushed toward me, wrapping around my hands and feet. Blue light flared up from the grooves across my skin, forming an aura of energy around me. Demonic shrieks filled my ears as the vines shriveled and burned in might of that power within me. Monsters rushed at me from within the darkness, stalling my advance into their perverted den. All around me, the cavern burst into blue flame. Creatures roared and screamed at me from every direction, shriveling and dying with my every advance.

Stoically, I marched onward, until I came upon a diseased fountain of water. Like a heartbeat, pustules of glowing purple-black energy throbbed within the blackened pool. Dark crystals, glowing with that same energy, lined the cavern around me. I closed my eyes, and clenched my right hand into a fist. Waves of energy surged through my hand, while water trickled and snaked its way into the chamber from the ocean beyond.

With a cry, I plunged my first into the throbbing tendrils. They sprayed liquid all around me and all over me. Screams echoed from every direction, while the crystals shattered like glass. The darkness shriveled up in burning blue light. I stepped into what was left of the fountain, and focused. Blue energy flowed up from my body and into the diseased fountain. As nightmarish meat moss gave way to a normal cavern, the nidus became a normal fountain of water once more.

_**It is done. Pure water flows through this place once more...** _

Before I could react, the woman's screams filled my ears. For the briefest moment, the god fell back and the human part of me took hold. Snapping out of the trance that had held its grip so tightly, I ran out of the cavern, and back into the storm. When I reached the hut, I found the woman and her father in a pool of blood, with Netherim swarming all over their bodies. I let out an inhuman shriek at the sight.

_No... **NO!**_

Fueled by rage both mortal and divine, I lashed out at the surviving Netherim. Now more than anything, I truly wanted these monsters slain: Not because the god within me willed it, but because they had destroyed these innocent lives—lives I had barely begun to know.

Gale winds devastated the area, while the ocean surged around me. Thunder and lightning rumbled and crackled through the air, striking the Netherim around me. As the last of them collapsed into the sand, they smouldered into husks of dying blue flame.

With that, my rage subsided, replaced by sorrow. I rushed over to the woman's bloody, lifeless body. She felt so cold to the touch. The small light I had sensed within her had long vanished. She was gone... and there was nothing I could do. I held her in my arms, with tears threatening to fall down my face.

"Wake up... Please, wake up! Don't die on me!"

As I held onto her lifeless body, the downpour intensified, drenching everything in a thick layer of water. I could no longer hold my tears back. I felt as though I had lost both a mentor and a daughter. Worse still... I didn't know why I felt the latter. I barely knew this girl and her father. At that rare instant, both the god and the man wept at the senseless loss of life.

I didn't know what to do. I never felt anything like this before. Although I could no longer sense the Netherim on the island anymore... it didn't matter. This woman was all I had. She was my only link to this alien world I had found myself in. Now, I had nothing.

"Why? Why did this have to happen? What have these people done to deserve this?!" I glanced down at the woman's pale, lifeless face and paused. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I... I never even knew your name. You didn't deserve to die like this... Nobody does..."

For the rest of the night, I grieved the loss of the only people I had ever known at that point. Among all else, I regretted never learning the woman's name, or the name of her father. Eventually, I mustered the will to bury them. I had no tools or means to bury them with. All I had was the ocean around me... the ocean I feared. As much as I feared going toward the ocean, the sorrow I felt at their deaths and the desire to make amends for it outweighed that fear.

A part of me stood there, wondering, regretting my actions somehow. Had I brought this misery on these two? Did my presence here somehow draw those monsters out into the open? Was it the father and daughter the monsters were after… or were they after me instead? I felt their hatred, their anger toward me. They wanted to annihilate me, just as I had under the influence of that terrible power inside me. Was it this power’s doing? Just what was happening to me?

_I shouldn't have come here. These people would still be here if I hadn't made my way here. I didn't mean to bring any of this upon you two..._

I stepped toward the water with the woman's lifeless corpse in my hand. Closing my eyes, I could do little to contain the flood of emotions I felt in that moment. The rain intensified around me, as if mirroring the sadness and confusion I felt. As I stood waist deep in the ocean, I held onto her body as gently as I could for several minutes.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't save you. Please... forgive me. I didn't mean for any of this to happen.

With that thought, I let her body go. I watched her drift through the water briefly, before she disappeared beneath the waves. I held my head down, I turned toward her father's body. With a heavy sigh, I carried his body to the shore, and allowed the ocean to claim him as well.

"Goodbye..."

I sat on that shore, away from the ocean, for hours. I tried to think about what I should do now. Without the woman's guidance, I felt so lost. As the downpour drenched everything, I searched through the water on the island, for something, any other form of human life I could find. I found nothing but trees. The island was uninhabited now. I realized then that there was nothing else left for me here... and yet I couldn't bring myself to leave. Everything had happened so fast...

**_Aidan... Aidan Haidros..._ **

Chills ran down my spine. My stomach twisted itself into knots. Deep within my soul, the ocean called out to me once more. I let out an inhuman shriek, as I clasped my head. The grooves across my skin burned brightly with blue energy. For that brief moment, I became that same, scared child once more. I couldn't bear to go out into that ocean. I didn't want to get swallowed by those dark waters again.

**_Come back... Join with the water. Take your place in the depths..._ **

"No!" I shouted, "Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

And so I fought that force once again, half-heartedly. I didn't want to venture away from the island, and yet I had no further reason to stay. The god within me yearned to return to the water, to answer the call of the waves. As much as I didn't want to leave, there was nothing for me here.

Where I was going to go, I didn't know. Whatever answers I sought, I was never going to find them here. I gave in to the ocean's summons, and made my way into the water with a heavy heart. I swam away from the island, daring not to look back at the tragedy I left behind.


	11. The Oracle of Talis

** Apotheosis: Haidros **

Chapter XI - The Oracle of Talis

As I sped through the harrowing sea, another story unfolded far away from me. Under the cover of darkness, a large white ship sped through water. Waves crashed against the sides of the ship as clouds of steam rose up from the smoke stack. As the three moons of Erenos hung overhead, Lyssa stood on the railing at the ship's bow. Wind ripped around her, sending strands of her hair flailing behind her. Her veil fell behind her head, held down only by small straps attached to her cloak.

She closed her eyes, remembering her mother's words all too well.

_"Take heed, Lyssa: the Oracle lies deep within the mists that cover the isle of Talis. We have not heard from her in some time. Be prepared for anything."  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Worry not about us. The Oracle will know where the Erenoi is, and what has become of him. Find the Oracle, and we will be able to find Lord Haidros..."_

Her eyes peered into the ocean. She held her hand out and focused, bringing her innate magic to the surface. Turbulent currents raced through the waves, bringing chaotic swells crashing into the ship. Lyssa frowned, sensing something alien within the waves for the first time in her life.

_The ocean... the ocean's afraid..._

Chills ran down Lyssa's spine. She pulled her hand back, startled by the psychic energy pervading throughout the ocean water. As she stood there, confused and mystified by the experience, a loud rumbling echoed throughout the ship. Lyssa clenched her hands against the railing as the ocean jostled the ship. Ocean spray drenched the bow while the ship itself plowed every onward through the waves.

Lyssa clasped her hands in prayer, closed her eyes and let out a single, reverberating note. Several more followed, and before long, her song echoed through the waves. Energy swirled all around her body.

_Please... I beseech you, Lord Haidros... hear my prayer. In the name of Erenos, I seek your Erenoi son. Show us the way, O Holy One, so that we may once more know peace and prosperity. I offer my song unto the Erenoi. May my song grant the Sea Child strength in His darkest hour, so He may deliver us from the Void..._

The wind began to die down. Swells lessened more and more, until the chaotic waters became quiet and silent. Energy faded around Lyssa. As she opened her eyes, she found the ocean had calmed down... if only briefly. She glanced at the ocean around her, the anxiety in the waters around her gone.

She stood there for a moment in silence, her face expressionless. As the ship plowed through the dark waters, a deep rumbling groan reverberated throughout the ship. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. 

_Lord Haidros...?_

Once more, she sensed a change in the water. Still silence gave way to anger. A dark presence manifested in the water. She shook her head, while she stepped back away from the railing, her entire body shaking.

_No... it's not the Erenoi... it's..._

Demonic shrieks pierced the silence. Shadows swirled around the boat. Within moments, clawed hangs climbed up the sides of the boat and onto the deck. She turned toward the wheelhouse, and locked eyes with the helmsman inside. His gaze turned toward the shadowy forms making their way aboard the ship. He rang a nearby bell in alarm.

"Netherim! We are being attacked!"

Crusty sailors and mages alike poured out of the gallery and stormed the deck, armed with scimitars and glowing staves. One of mages stepped out of the mob of people, and called out to Lyssa.

"Lady Arendis, get to safety!"

Lyssa nodded her head, and sprinted toward the mob of people beyond. With a resounding cry, they charged the demons swarming their ship. The Netherim responded with shrill screams of their own. Blackened claws locked onto sharpened blade. The sailors stood their ground, taking the brunt of the attack.

Metal clanged in the night, while ocean water sprayed the battlefield. Fangs pierced flesh, drenching the deck with human blood. As the monsters pushed the sailors back, the mages conjured energy. Before the Netherim could do anything further, bolts of blue energy lit up the darkness. They collided with the demons, sending them flying.

"Lady Arendis! Sing!" One of the mages called out, "We'll protect you. Lend us your song's power!"

Lyssa shook her head. "What about you? The Netherim will kill us if this battle goes on any further!"

"We need your song, Lady Arendis! Our lives matter not. You _must_ reach the Oracle of Talis alive! Now, _sing!_ "

Lyssa hesitated. Sailor's bodies smacked against the railing, denting the metal. Before long, bodies fell into the water, forever lost to the ocean abyss beneath them. Unwilling to watch these men fight a losing battle around her, she closed her eyes and concentrated once more. Energy swirled around her.

A series of resounding notes filled the night. The sailors, their bodies battered and their wills broken, rose up, revitalized with newfound strength. Like murderous berserkers, they charged at the Netherim, frenzied by Lyssa's song. The Netherim clasped their heads, convulsing from the sound. One by one, they pierced their blackened, demonic flesh.

The Netherim fell back into ocean. On the ship, the mages focused their power. Water seized the Netherim, surrounding them with holy blue energy. Blue fire wracked their bodies until only dust remained. Lyssa's voice quieted, until her song became little more than a whisper among the waves. Energy subsided around her. She stopped singing and opened her eyes.

_Oh no..._

Countless bodies, bereft of life, littered the decks. The furor of Lyssa's song left the remaining sailors, leaving them breathless. As they came to their senses, they bowed their heads solemnly toward their fallen brothers. Footsteps clanked through the deck. Everyone turned their heads while a bearded figure came into view.

The sailors stepped aside as the figure slowly made his way across the deck. From underneath a tricorn hat, he surveyed every detail of the battlefield.

"Another attack by the Netherim... the waters of Erenos grow more and more treacherous every day..."

He turned his greasy face toward Lyssa. She froze at the sight of the figure.

"C-Captain Hollister..."

Captain Hollister lifted a thin, bony finger and pointed at Lyssa.

"You," He called out to her, "I will speak to you in my quarters. Alone." Hollister lifted his eyes away from Lyssa, and addressed the sailors around him. "The rest of you... attend to the wounded, and return to your posts. We make landfall for the Isle of Talis at dawn. Prepare yourselves... we don't know what awaits us there..."

  


\---

Hours later, Lyssa stepped through the halls of the ship. The sounds of men working throughout the night, along with the roaring of steam engines, echoed through the brass-lined walls. She tucked in her robes, nervous about the upcoming meeting.

_What does the captain want with me?_

Anxiety filled her heart. Lyssa knew she had no reason to feel this way about the captain, yet she couldn't help it. The sight of that man brought painful memories bubbling to the surface...

\---

_Lyssa cupped the side of her face. Stinging pain burned across her cheek. She laid on her knees, tears streaming down from her eyes. Whimpers and terrified escaped her lips. A figure draped in shadow loomed over her, glowering down at her as she sobbed in the dark._

_"No... I won't! I won't sing for you anymore!"_

_A smirk formed on the figure's face, betraying his anger and animosity. "Oh, my dear little songbird... when will you ever learn?"_

_The figure rushed toward her, his thick leather boots pounding against the floor and feathered longcoat trailing behind him. Lyssa screamed at the top of her lungs. He lifted her up by her neck, and pinned her against he wall. She choked, unable to breathe, unable to escape the strength of the figure._

_"I own you. You will sing when I want you to sing. You will shower my men in your magic, until your magic is no more. Your strength is mine. Your very song is mine."_

_With widened eyes, Lyssa shook her head as she forced herself to turn away from his rage-filled gaze. Each of the thick metal rings on his fingers pressed against her neck, pinching her skin. She clasped her hands around the hands of her captor, trying to pry them off her to no avail. He pressed his face against her own, and Lyssa wanted to nothing more than scream._

_**"You. Are. MINE!"** _

_He tossed Lyssa across the room. Lyssa cried out at the top of her lungs. She slid across the floor until she collided with a wall. Fighting against the pain that wracked her body, she forced herself onto her feet, clutching her body as she did so._

_"What... do you... want?"_

_The figure sneered at her from underneath a tricorn hat._

_"Oh, I think you know damn well what I want, songbird..." He turned away from Lyssa, and faced the room beyond. He peered outside a window while thunder and lightning flashed in the sky._

_"You remember the ancient legends, don't you, songbird?" The figured chuckled. "The way to Haidrosheim will only open to the heart of powerful Song Maiden. With you, I shall raise the Throne of Haidros from the bottom of the Abyss, and claim the greatest prize of all..."_

_Lyssa shook her head, too scared to move, too scared to think, too scared to incur the wrath of that figure any further._

_"No... No! I won't! I won't help you claim the trident!"_

_The figure shook his head, wagging his finger at her in mock disapproval._

_"Oh you most certainly will, songbird, or else your life is forfeit. I will have that most sacred prize, either way."_

_She cowered in the corner, unable to stop herself from sobbing in terror. Several figures stepped into the room, and glanced up at the figure. He turned his attention toward them._

_"What shall we do with her, Captain?"_

_The dark captain held his chin in thought. "Take our songbird back to her cage. We wouldn't want our prize to take flight on us, not when the trident ever eludes my grasp..."_

_Within moments, figures swarmed around Lyssa. She screamed at the top of her lungs, until she couldn't scream any more. The figures dragged her beaten and bruised body from the floor out of the room, and into the dimly lit hallway beyond..._

\---

Lyssa fought back the painful tears that threatened to fall down her face. The memory of being trapped on another ship, and being assaulted by the captain in his quarters for her refusal to sing lingered in her mind. She took a few deep breaths, banishing her terrible past into the back of her mind once more. Her heart slowed, and she began to feel herself calm down.

_Ghalib... I was just a little girl when he found me searching through the alleys of Grendilon, off the shore of Salrune... I thought that nightmare would never end. I fought so hard, and so long to escape from that ship..._

She shook her head.

_No... that was a long time ago. Ghalib is dead, as are his men. I will never have to live in fear of that man and his vile ambitions ever again. I am no longer that scared little girl. I will never allow anyone to twist my song to their whims ever again. Haidros gives me and my song strength I never had back then. I must put these old wounds aside, and think about the task at hand for the sake of Haidros' Son and Erenos itself..._

Drawing on her courage, she stepped toward the captain's quarters, and knocked on the thick metal door.

"You may enter."

She turned the knob and stepped inside. Oil lanterns hung from the ceiling, lighting up the cabin's posh interior. Sitting on a plush sofa covered in decorative pillows, the captain looked up at her while studying various maps on a nearby table. He looked up from his maps and motioned for her to sit down on another sofa directly across the table.

"I have been expecting you. Please, have a seat, Lady Arendis."

Gingerly, Lyssa traced her fingers across the surface of the soft pillow fibers before taking a seat. She looked up down at the maps laid out on the table.

_The Isle of Talis... where the Oracle resides... what does this man plan to do once we arrive? Is that what he called me in here to discuss?_

Hollister returned to his map, scribbling notes on a sheet of paper with a feather quill. "Tell me, Lady Arendis, did you sense anything in the water? What did you feel out there in the waves?"

Lyssa shook her head. "I'm not sure... I felt a terrible anxiety in the water, so I came out to calm it... I thought that maybe we had found Lord Haidros out there. Instead, we found a nest of Netherim..."

Hollister scratched his beard in thought. "For the Netherim to reach the Isle of the Oracle, things must be dire indeed... tell me, do you think your song reached His Grace?"

"I sensed the ocean calm... followed by the fury of the Netherim. I have no way of knowing if my song reached the Son of Haidros. Perhaps we will find out soon enough..."

Hollister placed his quill in an ink well one last time. He pushed himself up from his sofa, and turned toward a wall of curtains. With a huge jerk, he parted the curtains, revealing a large window. From there, he watched as the ship bobbed through the water. Mist blanketed everything in sight. Driftwood dotted the surface of the ocean, while the three moons slid below the horizon.

From out of his coat pocket, Hollister pulled out a small, circular box. He opened the box, and stared at the compass needle inside. 

"We make landfall within an hour. Your order's mages will accompany my men ashore. I pray to Haidros the Oracle is safe, and that the Isle hasn't become a stronghold for these demons. I hold no grudge against your order, but if you bewitch my men with your song, Song Maiden... I will have your head."

Lyssa furrowed her brow in offense. "Excuse me?"

Hollister walked around Lyssa, while she eyed him with intense scrutiny. "I know of you. I recognized your song out there during the battle. Your infamy abounds the Southern Isles. You were once the so-called 'Songbird' of Ghalib. Your song caused the death of thousands of people, and when his reign of terror was over, you turned your song onto Ghalib and his men. You forced his men against one another, and they lost themselves in the madness your song brought. You resigned Ghalib and his men fall into the depths of the Abyss..."

"That was a long time ago. I walk a different path now. I have no intention of harming you or your men. I seek only to fulfill my duties to the Erenoi and to the Order of Haidros."

Hollister drew a scimitar from his belt, and held the blade to her chin. Lyssa stood there, her face expressionless. He glared at her, as though Lyssa's presence offended him.

"Be that as it may, your song is too powerful, and you pose a grave threat to me and my ship. You may fool your order with your wiles, but you do not fool me. I will be watching you very closely, 'Song Maiden'. Should you try anything, I will kill you myself."

Shaking her head in utter disbelief, she furrowed her brow in anger. Never before had she felt such offense and judgment from a man who claimed to worship Haidros. She neither wanted to bicker with him, nor stand there and take his prejudicial accusations. 

"Why are you saying these things? We are on the same side. We both want what's best for the Sea Child gifted to us by Haidros. Whatever terrible things I've done are irrelevant here. I cannot change the past. I cannot take back the terrible things I've done. I can only grovel before Haidros and repent for my sins before Him."

Hollister pursed his lips. "So is that why you killed him and drove his men insane with your song? You wanted revenge against him?"

"No..." Tears welled up in Lyssa's eyes, as the pain of her past came into full view. "Ghalib was a horrible excuse of a human being who rained abuse after abuse on me when I did not give him what he wanted, and we are all better off without that monster roaming the seas... I just wanted it to stop. I wanted the pain, the suffering, the constant threats to stop. He was hurting me, and he was making me do so many awful things to so many people. I feared for my life every second Ghalib held me captive on his ship. I was not a willing party to any of Ghalib's machinations at all. 

"He wanted the Abyssal Trident, and the power of Haidros..." Lyssa pursed her lips in thought. "No... he wanted to usurp Haidros' power, to take the Water God's place and _become him_. He kept me around because only a powerful Song Maiden can open the way to Haidrosheim and the Throne of Haidros. He nearly succeeded... Had Ghalib gotten that sacred power, Erenos would have been destroyed. That's why had no other choice. I had to escape, and put a stop to his madness right then and there before he consigned everything and everyone to ruin. Now do you see why he had to be stopped?"

Hollister shook his head. He walked around her in silence, digesting Lyssa's harrowing tale. Closing his eyes, he mused on whether to take her words at face value, or to disregard her entirely. Hollister turned around to face her.

"Go find the mages of your order, and tell them to prepare for battle."

"Then do you believe me?"

"Whether or not I believe you... is not my place to judge. I was wrong to be so accusatory, Lady Song Maiden. If you truly serve the will of Haidros, then I will give you but one chance to prove it. Show us that you've turned a new leaf, or I will cast you into the Abyss myself..."

"Sir?"

"I suggest you leave, Song Maiden, while my mood is yet fair..."

Lyssa ran out of the room, leaving Captain Hollister alone.

\---

Groups of mages and sailors alike piled together on huge oar boats, surrounded by still, misty waters. Lyssa stood in front of one such boat, encircled by several of her fellow mages from the Order of Haidros. Lifeless trees poked up from the water, while driftwood floated on the surface of the water. Squinting her eyes, Lyssa peered beyond the fog in search of any sign of life.

_This is strange... I thought the Isle would be somewhere around here..._

Beyond the splashing of oars through water, only the sound of breathing echoed through the air. Chills ran down Lyssa's spine, while a terrible, nauseating feeling permeated inside her stomach. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, while a palpable tension filled the air. For several minutes, no one dared break the silence. All eyes searched the area—for the Oracle, for her home, for anything at all.

As several minutes came and went, a shape came into view. A stone building covered in moss and decay came into view. Lyssa's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the ruin. Far into the back of the fleet of boats, Captain Hollister stood up. He pulled out a large horn and let out a huge, resounding bellow through it.

"Land ho!"

Hollister's yells broke the deafening silence. Lyssa closed her eyes, steeling herself for what awaited them inside.

_I have a terrible feeling about this... There is a dark energy lingering around here... it feels like... the Netherim!_

Each of the boats pulled up to a rotted wooden pier. One by one, they all pulled up to the side, and their passengers disembarked, save for the rowers that stayed behind to moor the boats alongside the pier.

"We have arrived at the Isle of Talis," A mage spoke, gripping his staff intently, "Brace yourselves. We do not know what awaits us inside..."

Lyssa said nothing as she followed another group of mages and sailors inside. Moss and broken stone surrounded them on all sides, while sunlight strained to break through the mist and the cracks in the structure around them. Her thoughts turned toward the Oracle.

_The Oracle is said to have watched over the Southern Seas for millenia. Mother once told me that she was once the consort of Cornelius Haidros, the previous Erenoi who ruled the waters of our world of Erenos. When He sundered his spirit and returned to the Divine Realm, she took up residence on this Isle. The Order has long worked closely with her to ensure the prosperity of the ocean. Is she still alive, even after all this time?_

"Hello?" Lyssa called out, "Are you here, Lady Oracle? Is anyone here?"

From out of the foliage, a rumbling hiss echoed through the misty stone halls. Lyssa stopped in her tracks, as did the mages. The sailors looked at them in confusion.

"What is it?" One of them asked.

Lyssa stepped forward. "Something is amiss..."

Faint noises echoed through the mist. Each of them sneaked toward a wall, and sidled against it. They inched their way into a large hall. As they peered inside, hundreds of corpses littered the ground. Sounds of snarling and hissing grew louder and louder. Lyssa and the mages stopped in their tracks. They held their staves aloft, the heads glowing with energy, while Lyssa pulled out her harp and wrapped her index finger around one of the strings.

They looked above them. Shadowy forms scuttled across the ceiling. As the mages locked their eyes with the monsters, the monsters in turn let out a demonic shriek of their own.

_"Netherim! The Netherim are here!"_

With cat-like grace, the Netherim dropped down from the ceiling, and landed on clawed toes. Energy surrounded the mages as they channeled powerful magic through their staves. Lyssa let out several notes on her harp and began to sing. Power rippled through the air, empowered by Lyssa's song. Vortexes of water appeared around the Netherim, while a bubble-like sphere formed around the group.

The sailors charged at the monsters with a war cry and drew their scimitars. Metal clashed against fangs and claws. Loud, booming, distorted screams resounded throughout the chamber. Blood splattered the floor and smeared the walls. With inhuman strength, the Netherim smacked the sailors, sending them flying across the room.

Fueled by unnatural fervor, each of the sailors pulled themselves back onto their feet. Despite the pain that wracked their broken bodies, they charged single-mindedly toward the monsters. As the Netherim raced toward the group, some fell into the vortexes. Magical water dragged them under, drowning them under the mages power.

_Lord of the Ocean, and Ruler of the Depths, hear my prayer! Descend upon our foes as a storm, and wipe your enemies from this world! Lend us your aid!_

Magic resonated through the air. A polar wind blew through the chamber. One by one, the Netherim's inky black bodies froze in place, their faces forever contorted in rage. Each of the mages rushed toward the frozen Netherim, and pushed them onto the ground. Their bodies shattered into a thousand pieces, while black mist floated out of their bodies and into the air.

Lyssa's song fell silent. As she did so, each of the sailors dropped onto the ground, bleeding profusely. The mages rushed over to their comrades, and knelt over their bodies. 

"Damn them! They've invaded the Oracle's Shrine!" One of the mages shouted.

Before any of them could utter word or even call for help, more screeches echoed through the chamber. Swarms of Netherim descended down on the group.

_By the Gods... how could things be so bad?_ Lyssa thought, _If the Netherim have slain the Oracle..._

"Fall back!"

Without another word, Lyssa and the mages ran out of the room. The Netherim chased after them, snarling and snapping right behind them. Screams and cries of agony, punctuated by demonic screeching, filled the air. Lyssa dared not look back at the carnage unfolding at her heels. One by one, the Netherim plucked the mages away from the group, and crushed them in a heap of gore. Moments later, only Lyssa remained.

_No!_

Lyssa zigzagged her way through the complex in an attempt to confuse the monsters in hot pursuit. Before long, she found herself in an ornate chamber. Brass pipes and cogwheels lined the room, while water flowed in from every direction. At the end of the chamber, a familiar statue not unlike the one she often prayed to stood before her. A naked male figure stood at the center of a bubbling fountain, bearing a muscular physique. Lines ran down the statue's face, and through nearly every part of its form. 

Grasped in the statue's right hand, the statue pointed an ornate trident—adorned in ancient, arcane symbols—at the entrance. The statue held out its left hand in offering, while it stared back at her with blank, lifeless eyes. A small stream of sunlight shone down from above, bathing the chamber in a soft glow.

_Lord Haidros..._

Snarls tore her out of her reverie. As Lyssa turned behind her, she let out an ear piercing scream. She ran toward the statue and shielded herself behind it. Screeches filled the room. Lyssa closed her eyes, waiting for the end to come.

Instead, blinding light filled the room. An ephemeral figure appeared before her, surrounded by glimmering white robes. Long, silver hair flowed behind the figure, while they held aloft a staff. Adorned in gold decorations, the figure floated in the air.

_"Begone from this holy place!"_ A female voice boomed, echoing in every direction.

The figure held up their staff. Water snaked out of the pipes and the fountain, glowing with blue energy. That water pooled along the ground, and formed a whirling vortex at its center. Gale winds blew through the area. Lyssa hunkered down behind the statue, waiting for what was to come.

Each of the Netherim abandoned their pursuit of Lyssa, and grabbed onto whatever thing they could find. Each of them became sucked into the vortex of water. The water pulled them deeper inside, drowning out and snuffing out their existence. Like the pull of gravity, waves of dark energy flew into the chamber and fell into the vortex. Moments later, pure shimmering blue light replaced black corruption, as the evil infesting the area ceased to exist.

Lyssa watched the figure slam her staff into the ground one last time. The wind stopped. Objects landed on the ground with a thud, while other shattered on the stone floor entirely. The vortex transformed into still water once more, and ebbed back into the fountain. Only the sound of pure dripping water heralded the battle that took place here.

Can it be... is that...?

Power unlike any she had ever felt before rippled from the figure. From beneath golden armbands, silver flesh glimmered in the white sunlight. The figure turned around, revealing a feminine figure. Glowing blue eyes peered out from a white veil, while Lyssa locked eyes with her, unable to look away.

"I have purged the Netherim from this place." The figure stepped toward Lyssa, her robes flowing around her. You are safe now, mortal."

Gingerly, Lyssa stepped out from the shadow of the statue of Haidros. Nervousness and unease filled Lyssa's heart. The figure's power bristled the hairs on Lyssa's body. Before the might of this being, she felt as nothing.

"I am the Oracle of Talis. I have been expecting you, Song Maiden of Haidros." The Oracle's voice echoed, distant and ethereal.

Lyssa gasped. "You... you know who I am?"

The Oracle nodded. "I see all that happens within the ocean, my child. I have watched the birth and death of countless civilizations. From my isle, I have watched your story unfold, and the struggles you now endure. I know why you have come here, and I will provide the answers you seek... _if you are prepared._ "

Swallowing hard, Lyssa grasped her harp. Her mind reeled, trying to articulate the questions she and her Order long wanted the answer to. She closed her eyes, searching for those desperate words.

"Lady Oracle..." Lyssa fell onto her knees and bowed before the Oracle. "I am humbled by all that you do. On behalf of the Order of Haidros, I must ask you: what has become of the collapse?"

Glowing blue eyes, shadowed by the darkness of her veil, peered down at Lyssa. Lyssa herself dared not look up at the Oracle. The Oracle's bare silver feet pattered against the floor, revealing a glowing brand not unlike the one carved into the Statue of Haidros before them. 

"The awakening of a Child of Haidros has delayed the end of this world," The Oracle began, "With His awakening, the Netherim grow more and more brazen. Even my power is not enough to keep them at bay any longer, as you have no doubt seen. In order for the collapse to be averted, Haidros' Heir must venture into His Maker's home, and claim the Abyssal Trident from there. Only then will life begin anew within the waters of this world..." The Oracle paused, and placed a pensive finger on her lips. "He must then awaken His Brothers and Sisters, the Erenoi Children of the other four Gods. When the Five Erenoi have gathered together, Erenos will return to its rightful course..."

Lyssa's eyes widened. Unconsciously, she scrambled to her feet, stricken by the Oracle's words.

"Where is He, Lady Oracle? Where is the Erenoi?"

The Oracle turned away from Lyssa, and closed her eyes. "The Child of Haidros wanders the ocean, lost and without purpose. As we speak, He heads for the isle of Bristayn. The Erenoi has but recently awakened... You must find Him, and bring Him to me, before terrible things befall the isles."

Lyssa shook her head. "What...?"

"Every Son of Haidros is different." The Oracle twirled wisps of blue light around her fingers. "The previous Erenoi loved the ocean. I remember Him all too well; Cornelius took to His role with great care. After banishing the Netherim back to the void, He worked painstakingly to restore life to the oceans of Erenos. But like all who bear the names of the gods, He eventually abandoned this world, as did His Brothers and Sisters. I was created by Him to watch over the ocean in his place, in accordance with Ordanas' will. The cycle of the gods turned then, as it does now.

"The Erenoi called to this world is very different from those who came before. I sense His mind within the waves, as have you. A deep, crippling fear of the ocean rules Him. He seeks to flee the ocean, unaware of His bond to it. The Erenoi possesses human thought and emotion; He knows not the power He wields, or even what He has become. Should anything befall him, the Erenoi will rain watery destruction on the isles... and the world at large."

Lyssa's eyes widened. "But the Erenoi are benevolent! He would never do such a thing!"

The Oracle held a silver finger up to Lyssa, silencing her. "He does possess a benevolent nature, as have all the others. His heart is fragile, and requires protecting. Without a steady hand to guide him, he will succumb to the same dark impulses that prey on all mortals." She closed her eyes, while a pained expression formed on her face. "The isle of Bristayn is no place for him... the hearts of the people there have become hardened. The people there reject the gods. They will not accept him."

"Lady Oracle..." Lyssa paused, and brought and closed fist up to her chest. "Have you... seen what will come to pass?"

"Lord Ordanas has gifted me with insight into the flow of time. He has shown me what will come to pass: The Erenoi will suffer a great and personal loss. The people of Bristayn will turn on him. The Erenoi will summon the Kraken, and unleash His divine rage for all of Erenos to see. His heart will break, and the isles will drown in His sorrow..."

Turning around, the Oracle pointed at Lyssa. "...But you, Lyssa Arendis, have your own part to play in this drama. You shall be the one who will release the Sea God's heart from bondage. You shall become His nurturer, and revitalize Him. He shall lean on you, as Erenos leans on Him. Together, your song and the Erenoi's holy water magic will accomplish many great things."

Lyssa's eyes widened. Her knees gave way, and she crumpled onto the ground. She shook her head in disbelief.

_I... I was not prepared for this. What am I to do? What am I going to do?_

"I sense your confusion, Lyssa Arendis. You will understand my words when the time comes. For now, return to the Order of Haidros, and relay to them my words to you. The Song Mother and the High Father will know what to do." The Oracle held out her hands in front of her, while orbs of light formed at her fingertips. "I have told you all that I am able. I shall send you back to the Temple of Haidros."

Ribbons of blue energy surrounded Lyssa. Swirls of water and air formed around her. The droning hum of energy echoed throughout the room. The Oracle closed her eyes, and concentrated further. Lyssa let out an eek of surprise as her body rose from the floor. A cocoon of water, air, and light encased her body. With a flip of her fingertips, the Oracle unleashed a wave of energy. Blue light enveloped Lyssa, and with a blip, she vanished from the chamber.


End file.
